28/07Result
Qualifier 1 (N), Major League Cricket at Dallas, Jul 27 2023
Seattle won by 9 wkts (30b rem)
Player of the Match
Quinton de Kock
Quinton de KockSeattle Orcas
28/07Result
Qualifier 1 (N), Major League Cricket at Dallas, Jul 27 2023
Seattle won by 9 wkts (30b rem)
Player of the Match
Quinton de Kock
Quinton de KockSeattle Orcas

11:21pm Right. That will be that from us for tonight. Hope you enjoyed our coverage as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you. Tomorrow, we will be back as the Texas Super Kings take on MI New York with a place in the MLC final at stake. Until next time, this is me (Shashwat) signing off on behalf of Binoy George and everyone else at ESPNcricinfo. Goodbye and take care!

Wayne Parnell, Seattle Orcas captain: Whenever you win a playoff game, it is pretty special. The guys have been unbelievable so far and we have one more to go. (On his injury) I cannot disclose that on TV but good to be back with the boys. (On the pitch) It was a little bit tricky. At the toss, I was 50-50 (on whether to bat or bowl). Generally, wickets tend to play better under lights. As a bowling unit, to restrict them to that total and then see Quinton's class was pleasing.

Faf du Plessis, Texas Super Kings captain: (What happened tonight) Bad day at the office. We thought the pitch was going to be really slow. In hindsight, I felt it was a mistake at the toss. It got better as the game progressed, looked a little easier in the second innings. Credit to them, they were a complete unit. They did not miss a beat, we missed a lot of beats. (On playing the Challenger against MINY) We have a big challenge for tomorrow. If we have to go further, we have to be a lot better. Beautiful thing about tomorrow is that it is a new day and a new opportunity.

Quinton de Kock, Player of the Match: (On his thinking chasing 127) I honestly did not really want to come back tomorrow and play so just wanted to get the job done today (smiles). (On what he has been working on) Not much, to be honest. One or two practices and, that is it. There will be one or two celebrations and that will be pretty much it. Would love to finish off this tournament on a high.

Harmeet Singh: (On how it feels to make the final) Any tournament you play, you want to win it. To play for Seattle has been special for me. It is going to be stunning on Sunday in front of a packed stadium (hopefully). We decided that we will not experiment much. It was more of bowling into the wicket and bowling at the stumps. I backed my length, did not try too much. We needed a couple of days' break. We travelled yesterday, played today. We really dominated today and that feeling will be carried over to the final, and that is also important. (On Pravin Amre) He has been my childhood coach. Him coming here is nostalgic. He is always positive and even when we had a bad game, he took positives from it.

11:04pm Well, that turned into a bit of a canter towards the end. That was only down to de Kock, though, who made a tricky track look very easy. He finished with 88 and his innings was laced with ten fours and four sixes. He was severe against pace and was unforgiving against spin too. Jayasuriya, while not as fluent, did his bit at the other end to ensure that there were no further hiccups.

As for TSK, they will have to pick themselves up and come back tomorrow. This was one of their more toothless displays, considering the way they batted and how they lacked penetration with the ball. Apart from Theron and Mohsin (to an extent), none of the others exerted control and that is something TSK will have to rectify before their contest against MINY tomorrow.

15.1
1w
Santner to Jayasuriya, 1 wide, what a way to end the match! Santner tries to sneak in a bouncer but gets it awfully wrong. Spears it way outside off and the umpire has no qualms in calling it a wide. The Orcas become the first team to qualify for the final of the inaugural edition of the MLC and they have thoroughly deserved it!

Santner to bowl what could be the final over of the game

END OF OVER:
15 | 10 Runs | SEO: 126/1 (1 run required from 30 balls, RR: 8.40, RRR: 0.20)

  • Quinton de Kock88 (50b)
  • Shehan Jayasuriya31 (34b)
  • Calvin Savage3-0-27-0
  • Rusty Theron3-0-20-1
14.6
0
Savage to de Kock, no run, full just outside off. de Kock drills it straight to the fielder in the ring at cover point. The wait for the winning run goes on...

de Kock on strike. It would be fitting if he can finish off this run-chase...

14.5
1
Savage to Jayasuriya, 1 run, full on middle and off. Jayasuriya comes forward and works it towards deep mid wicket to level the scores!
14.4
0
Savage to Jayasuriya, no run, back of a length outside off. Jayasuriya wafts at it but only connects with fresh air. That might have been a cutter that deviated off the surface

Just two runs needed now. Can the Orcas finish it off this over?

14.3
4
Savage to Jayasuriya, FOUR, four more! Banged into the track but the line is wayward and down the leg side. Jayasuriya uses the pace and gets it over the keeper's head
14.2
1
Savage to de Kock, 1 run, dug into the track on off stump. de Kock tries the pull but mistimes it down to long on. That made such a clunky sound off the bat
14.1
4
Savage to de Kock, FOUR, lovely! Length delivery outside off stump. de Kock opens up his stance, extends his arms and creams it over extra cover for another boundary!

Anish: "Why is Santner not bowling? He is fielding for sure" -- The only explanation I can come up with is that there are two left-handers out in the middle...

END OF OVER:
14 | 8 Runs | SEO: 116/1 (11 runs required from 36 balls, RR: 8.28, RRR: 1.83)

  • Quinton de Kock83 (47b)
  • Shehan Jayasuriya26 (31b)
  • Rusty Theron3-0-20-1
  • Calvin Savage2-0-17-0
13.6
1
Theron to de Kock, 1 run, full delivery at the stumps. de Kock pushes it down the ground and tears across to the other end to retain strike
13.5
4
Theron to de Kock, FOUR, length delivery outside off stump. de Kock stands tall and while he does not quite middle it, he gets enough wood to clear the fielder at mid off!
13.4
1
Theron to Jayasuriya, 1 run, full and slanted across outside off. Jayasuriya throws his hands at it and slices it down to third man
13.3
0
Theron to Jayasuriya, no run, full and way outside off. Jayasuriya lets it go and this time, the umpire does not call it a wide. That looked much wider than the one Coetzee was penalised for a few overs ago

That brings up the 100-run stand for this pair - just the second time any pair has managed this feat in the MLC

13.2
1
Theron to de Kock, 1 run, length outside off. de Kock swings a little too hard at it and tugs it towards deep mid wicket
13.1
1
Theron to Jayasuriya, 1 run, length outside off. Jayasuriya punches it towards point and collects a single

Just 19 runs needed now for victory. If TSK are to win this from here, we will have witnessed something truly extraordinary

END OF OVER:
13 | 12 Runs | SEO: 108/1 (19 runs required from 42 balls, RR: 8.30, RRR: 2.71)

  • Quinton de Kock77 (44b)
  • Shehan Jayasuriya24 (28b)
  • Calvin Savage2-0-17-0
  • Mohammad Mohsin3-0-23-0
12.6
4
Savage to de Kock, FOUR, de Kock is making it look so easy! Dug into the track on middle and leg. This ball sits up to be hit and de Kock obliges by bringing his wrists into play and helping it past deep backward square leg!
12.5
1
Savage to Jayasuriya, 1 run, full just outside off stump. Jayasuriya bunts it down the ground and gallops across to the other end
12.5
1w
Savage to Jayasuriya, 1 wide, back of a length delivery way down the leg side. Jayasuriya swings at it and misses as the umpire calls it a wide
12.4
4
Savage to Jayasuriya, FOUR, edged and four! Back of a length outside off. Jayasuriya dangles his bat away from his body and gets a thick outside edge that beats third man and hits the fence!
12.3
0
Savage to Jayasuriya, no run, back of a length outside off. Jayasuriya taps it towards backward point off the back foot
12.2
1
Savage to de Kock, 1 run, back of a length delivery on middle and leg. de Kock has a swish at it and jams it off the inside edge into his pads. The ball rolls away into the off side for a single
12.1
1
Savage to Jayasuriya, 1 run, short and outside off. Jayasuriya throws his hands at it and slashes it down to third man

Savage is back

Major League Cricket News