By Dwayne Ferreira.
Colin Munro’s unbeaten 64 helped Los Angeles Knight Riders chase 151 and beat San Francisco Unicorns by seven wickets in a 14-over MLC contest.
Colin Munro marked his Los Angeles Knight Riders debut with an unbeaten 64 as his side defeated San Francisco Unicorns by seven wickets in a rain-reduced Major League Cricket contest at Grand Prairie Stadium. Chasing 151 from 14 overs, the Knight Riders reached 154 for three with two deliveries remaining after Jason Holder’s late assault broke open a closely fought match.
Los Angeles captain Holder won the toss and chose to bowl after rain shortened the fixture. San Francisco responded aggressively through Finn Allen and Lhuan-dre Pretorius, refusing to treat the reduced allocation cautiously.
Allen struck two fours and two sixes in a 12-ball 24, while Pretorius drove the innings with a more substantial contribution. Their opening partnership produced 70 from 34 deliveries and gave the Unicorns an excellent platform.
Sunil Narine supplied the first breakthrough when Allen was caught by Andre Russell. Pretorius continued to attack and reached 58 from 28 balls, hitting four fours and five sixes, before Russell removed him with San Francisco on 92 in the eighth over.
Matthew Short maintained the scoring rate with 30 from 20 deliveries, but Los Angeles began to pull the innings back during its closing stages. Narine dismissed Sanjay Krishnamurthi for 14, while Carmi le Roux removed Hassan Khan and Holder accounted for Oliver Peake.
Short’s run-out was followed immediately by Shadley van Schalkwyk bowling Haris Rauf for a duck. San Francisco lost five wickets after reaching 122 for two, restricting the final acceleration that had appeared possible following their opening stand.
Brody Couch struck a six from the final two deliveries he faced, helping the Unicorns close on 150 for seven. Narine finished with two for 33, while Holder, Russell, Le Roux and Van Schalkwyk took one wicket each.
Los Angeles needed to score at almost 11 runs per over from the beginning, and Munro and Andre Fletcher ensured the required rate did not rise. The pair added 70 from six overs, with Fletcher contributing 34 from 17 balls through three fours and two sixes.
Short broke the partnership by dismissing Fletcher, but Munro maintained control. Rovman Powell struck 17 from 11 balls before Peter Siddle removed him, leaving Los Angeles with 52 required from 26 deliveries.
Holder’s arrival changed the equation immediately. The West Indies all-rounder struck two fours and three sixes in a 12-ball 28, adding 47 with Munro from only 19 deliveries. The partnership prevented San Francisco from directing all their attention towards the established batter.
Siddle dismissed Holder with four runs still required, but Munro remained calm and completed the chase alongside Russell. Munro’s unbeaten 64 came from 40 deliveries and included six fours and four sixes.
Siddle returned two for 27 and Short claimed one for eight, but the other San Francisco bowlers struggled to contain Los Angeles during the crucial stages. Munro was named Player of the Match after batting through the chase and ensuring the Knight Riders did not lose direction when wickets fell.
The result gave Los Angeles a winning start and demonstrated the depth provided by Munro, Fletcher and a powerful Caribbean middle order. San Francisco were left to reflect on an innings that lost momentum after reaching 122 for two, with their final 26 deliveries producing only 28 runs and five wickets.
The Unicorns had little recovery time before meeting Texas Super Kings the following day, while the Knight Riders carried their opening victory into a meeting with Seattle Orcas. For Los Angeles, winning a demanding chase under reduced conditions also offered an early demonstration of the calm required during a congested MLC schedule.
MATCH SUMMARY
SAN FRANCISCO UNICORNS – 150/7, 14 overs
Lhuan-dre Pretorius 58, Matthew Short 30, Finn Allen 24
Sunil Narine 2/33, Shadley van Schalkwyk 1/23, Carmi le Roux 1/25
LOS ANGELES KNIGHT RIDERS – 154/3, 13.4 overs
Colin Munro 64 not out, Andre Fletcher 34, Jason Holder 28
Peter Siddle 2/27, Matthew Short 1/8, Brody Couch 0/27
Result: Los Angeles Knight Riders won by seven wickets with two balls remaining in a 14-over match.
Player of the Match: Colin Munro.
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