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DALLAS: The West Indian duo of Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard lit up the Grand Prairie Stadium on Friday night, dismantling Texas Super Kings with brutal hitting to power MI New York into the final of Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 with a commanding seven-wicket victory.
After a dismal start to their campaign, losing six of their first seven matches, MI New York have now booked a spot in their second MLC final in three years, setting up a title clash against defending champions Washington Freedom on Sunday.
Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, MI New York struck early. Smit Patel was the first to go for 9, undone by Tristan Luus in the fourth over with the score at 29.
Luus and Rushil Ugarkar then ran through the Super Kings’ top order, leaving them reeling at 43-3 by the end of the Powerplay.
While Faf du Plessis tried to hold the innings together with a composed 59 off 42 balls, Marcus Stoinis never looked settled and was dismissed for 6 by Ugarkar.
Luus returned to remove du Plessis just as he was threatening to shift gears, leaving the scoreboard in a precarious state at 85-5.
However, the final flourish came from Akeal Hosein and Donovan Ferreira, who stitched together an unbeaten 81-run stand off just 46 deliveries.
Hosein smashed a blistering 55* off 32 balls, peppered with four fours and four sixes, while Ferreira supported well with 32* off 20 as Texas Super Kings ended at a competitive 166-5.
Luus finished with impressive figures of 3-35, while Ugarkar picked up 2-31. No other MI bowler managed a breakthrough.
In response, MI New York’s chase began on shaky ground. Quinton de Kock fell cheaply for 9, miscuing a pull shot off Zia-ul-Haq, and Michael Bracewell (8) didn’t last long either, departing soon after the powerplay to Akeal Hosein.
Monank Patel anchored the innings with a solid 49 off 39, hitting five boundaries and two sixes, but his dismissal by Noor Ahmed in the 13th over with the score at 83-3 left the game in a tense balance.
What followed was a ruthless counterattack as Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard tore into the Super Kings’ bowling. The pair added 89 unbeaten runs off just 40 deliveries to seal the match in the penultimate over.
Pooran remained unbeaten on 52 off 36 balls, striking four boundaries and three sixes, while Pollard rolled back the years with a vintage 47* off just 22, smashing seven boundaries, including three massive sixes.
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