Major League Cricket (MLC) moved to North Carolina in the second week as the league stage reached its business end. Thirteen of the 15 group matches are over, and two playoff spots are up for grabs. LA Knight Riders, who have lost four of their five games, are out of contention, while Seattle Orcas and Washington Freedom are in the playoffs. And there is a three-way battle between MI New York, Texas Super Kings and San Francisco Unicorns to make the playoffs. Here's how the second week of MLC action panned out.
All or nothing for Devon Conway
Fifty-five, 0, 74, 0 - two first-ball ducks and two quick half-centuries. It's been a strange MLC for Devon Conway.
He lit up the opening game of the tournament against Knight Riders, notching up the first half-century in the MLC. In the next game, against Freedom, he was cleaned up by Marco Jansen for a duck. He followed it up with a match-winning 55-ball 74 against New York before falling for another first-ball duck against Orcas. Conway's ducks have coincided with Super Kings' losses. He will want to score big in the final league game - against Unicorns, crucial to Super Kings' playoffs chances - and consistently, moving forward.
Netravalkar's demolition job, Phillips the ball magnet
Saurabh Netravalkar is one of the best known American cricketers. He made his ODI and T20I debut in 2019 and has also captained the team in both formats. While most USA players haven't managed to break into the playing XIs in the first year of the MLC, Netravalkar made a mark when he ripped through the Unicorns line-up, finishing with unbelievable figures of 6 for 9 in 3.5 overs - the best in the competition so far. With Freedom defending only 133, he got the ball to deck in sharply to the right-handers from the around-the-wicket angle and broke the back of the Unicorns chase, cleaning them up for 103.
The bowling performance was supported brilliantly by Glenn Phillips on the field. He took four catches, including two where he had to cover a fair distance. He was sprinting back from short cover to deep cover, both sides of the wicket, staying patient at cow corner on either side and grabbing everything that came his way. It seemed like the ball was following Phillips, and he was happy with the situation.
Russell heroics not enough to change Knight Riders' luck
It's fair to say Knight Riders' campaign never took flight. There were specks of brilliance, but the team failed to show up as a unit. However, Andre Russell, the highest run-getter in the tournament so far with 206 runs in five matches, has been a shining light all through. After Dallas, it was Morrisville's turn to witness his heroics. He took the Freedom bowlers to the cleaners, smashing an unbeaten 37-ball 70, with six fours and six sixes. His innings, however, wasn't enough as Andries Gous' 15-ball 40, backed up by effective cameos, helped Freedom chase down 176 with ease.
After four successive losses, Knight Riders finally got a win, in their last league game. Rilee Rossouw came to the party with an unbeaten 38-ball 78, helping his side beat Orcas, the table-toppers.
Who will make the playoffs?
Orcas, with three wins from four games, and Freedom, who have won three out of five, have qualified for the playoffs already. New York are placed third on the points table with four points, and play their last group game against Orcas on Wednesday. A win will take New York above the second-placed Freedom, owing to a superior net run-rate. Even if they lose, New York have a shot at making the final four, as their current net run-rate of +1.319 is the best of the lot. Both Super Kings and Unicorns are on four points and occupy the fourth and fifth spots, respectively. The winner of this fixture will confirm a playoff spot.
Domestic watch: Mohammad Mohsin
Mohammad Mohsin, the Peshawar-born legspinner who has now moved to the USA, is a player to watch out for. Playing for Super Kings, he has picked a wicket in every game, flummoxing batters with his guile and deception. He kicked off his MLC campaign with 4 for 8 against Knight Riders, and has been consistent throughout. In four games so far, he has bagged eight wickets at 14.62 and an economy of 8.35.
"He has got a kit of tricks you want against those big hitters, especially in the first six balls when they are exposing their front pad. I have confidence in him now," Faf du Plessis, the Super Kings captain, said about Mohsin.
The top performers
Most runs: Andre Russell | 206 runs at a strike rate of 156.06.
Most wickets: Cameron Gannon | Nine wickets at an average of 11.11