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LAUDERHILL: Shimron Hetmyer continued his red-hot form on Tuesday night as he powered the Seattle Orcas to a crucial win over table-toppers San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025, keeping their playoff hopes alive.
Chasing 169 on a sluggish Lauderhill pitch, Seattle were in early trouble at 18 for 2. But Hetmyer stepped in with a stunning 78* off just 37 balls, laced with four boundaries and seven massive sixes, to drag the Orcas over the line with three balls to spare.
It was Seattle’s third straight win after five consecutive losses, and with two games remaining, they now sit firmly in playoff contention.
Earlier, San Francisco Unicorns posted 168/5 after being invited to bat. Despite losing Matthew Short in the opening over, they recovered well in the Powerplay, reaching 51/2.
Quickfire contributions from Finn Allen (23 off 15) and Jake Fraser-McGurk (35 off 22) set the tone, but Seattle struck back at 62/3.
The middle-order was held together by Sanjay Krishnamurthi, who hammered four sixes in his 28-ball 40, stitching a 57-run partnership with Tim Seifert (31* off 37).
However, Waqar Salamkheil’s timely strikes helped the Orcas pull things back in the death overs.
In response, Seattle’s top order crumbled. Steven Taylor registered a 10-ball duck, Kyle Mayers managed just three, and Xavier Bartlett had the Orcas wobbling at 18/2.
Shayan Jahangir (36) and Sikandar Raza (11) attempted a brief recovery but fell in quick succession, leaving the chase in disarray at 56/4.
However, Shimron Hetmyer launched his innings with intent, smoking three sixes in his first seven deliveries and refusing to let the required rate climb out of reach.
Even as wickets kept falling at the other end, including the dangerous Heinrich Klaasen (5), Hetmyer kept the scoreboard moving with calculated aggression.
With eight runs needed off the final over, Hetmyer started with a dot but responded in style, smashing a towering six over long-on, followed by a crisp cut through the offside to seal the win.
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