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OAKLAND: Jake Fraser-McGurk’s blistering knock, followed by Haris Rauf’s all-round brilliance, steered San Francisco Unicorns to their second straight win in the third match of the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 at the Oakland Coliseum here on Sunday.
Los Angeles Knight Riders skipper Sunil Narine won the toss and opted to field first.
San Francisco Unicorns had a poor start as they lost their opener, Tim Seifert (5), only in the second over.
However, following the early, Jake Fraser-McGurk and Finn Allen put on a sublime 121-run stand. The partnership brought the score to 126 in only 10.2 overs.
Fraser-McGurk was the core aggressor while Allen smashed his second fifty in the process. He was dismissed after scoring 52 off 27 deliveries, hitting four sixes and five fours.
The wicket did not halt Unicorns’ momentum as they continued the scoring with high impetus. Sanjay Krishnamurthi (12) was the next batter to be removed on the fourth ball of the 12th over as the scorecard read 141-3.
Jake Fraser-McGurk added another brief 26-run partnership with Cooper Connolly before being removed after scoring a sublime 88 off 38 balls. His knock featured 11 sixes and two fours.
Los Angeles Knight Riders bowlers were kept at bay until the 17th over, where they struck twice, reducing San Francisco Unicorns to 189-7.
However, Haris Rauf’s cameo of 16 runs with the help of a six and two boundaries helped the team finish strong at the back end of the innings as Unicorns scored 219 for the loss of eight wickets in their allocated 20 overs.
For the Los Angeles Knight Riders, Shadley van Schalkwyk was the standout bowler, taking three wickets in his four overs.
In reply to a daunting total, Knight Riders were bowled out for 187 on the second last ball of the penultimate over, which handed Unicorns a resounding 32-run win.
The Knight Riders lost both of their openers early inside the first three overs. Alex Hales (6) was the first one to go, holing out to deep square leg while Andre Fletcher’s 19-run innings came to an end in Bartlett’s over, reducing them to 33-2.
However, Unmukt Chand smashed 18-runs of Haris Rauf’s over, bringing the score to 57-2 in five overs. The partnership of 46 runs between Nitish Kumar and Unmukt Chand appeared to be quite dangerous, but Hasan Khan ended their stand by taking Nitish Kumar’s wicket with a catch-and-bowl.
The game was evenly poised at the halfway mark of the innings, but Haris Rauf’s double-wicket over in which he removed Chand and Andre Russell tilted the match Unicorns’ way.
Unmukt Chand top-scored with 53 off 32 deliveries with the aid of four sixes and the same number of fours.
With five wickets lost and 107 runs required from just 42 balls, the target proved to be too challenging for the team.
For San Francisco Unicorns, Haris Rauf and Xavier Bartlett starred with the ball, taking four wickets each, which ensured that they remain top of the table in MLC 2025.
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