The San Francisco Unicorns scored 212 — their second 200-plus total of MLC 2023 — and then defended it with relative ease to hand the Los Angeles Knight Riders their third consecutive loss of the season. Matthew Wade blasted 78 off 41 balls and was supported by equally rapid contributions from Marcus Stonis (37 off 18) and Corey Anderson (39 off 20) as the San Francisco Unicorns posted 212 — their second 200-plus total of MLC 2023 — and then defended it. LAKR got off to a strong start, but their pursuit waned in the middle overs, primarily due to another economical spell from Shadab Khan.
After electing to bat, the Unicorns utilized the majority of the new-ball pitch at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas. By the end of the PowerPlay, they had scored 75 runs without losing a wicket, with Wade smashing Ali Khan for 29 runs in the sixth over with two sixes and four fours. There was no reprieve for LAKR on the other side of the fielding restrictions, as a belligerent Stonis replaced a rather subdued Finn Allen.
In the ninth over, Stoinis smashed Adam Zampa for scores of 6, 4, 6, and 6 against his teammate. With overs 10 through 12 yielding only 24 runs, veterans Andre Russell and Sunil Narine introduced equanimity to the proceedings. Stonis then struck out to Russell, and five pitches later, Wade joined him in the dugout after hitting Ali Khan direct to the sweeper cover fielder.
Any attempts by LAKR to mount a comeback were thwarted by former New Zealand international Corey Anderson, who gave himself an over to get his eye in before smashing a six and a four off Narine and two sixes off Russell before the latter limped off the field with a suspected injury. Ali Khan, who replaced Russell, was dismissed for two more boundaries to end with overall figures of 3.4-0-61-1. Zampa, bowling for LAKR, conceded only three runs in the 20th over and took two wickets in the process.
This momentum carried over into their second innings, where Jason Roy gave the pursuit a much-needed boost by hitting the second delivery for six. Roy maintained this momentum for the duration of his 21-ball innings, striking four sixes and four fours before dragging a slower delivery from Haris Rauf onto his stumps.
Still Roy’s quick start gave LAKR 60 seconds in the PowerPlay, a position their native players were unable to exploit. In an attempt to rectify this anomaly, Unmukt Chand succumbed after facing 16 deliveries after Roy’s dismissal and scoring only one boundary. Nitish Kumar struck Corey Anderson for three fours before succumbing to a slower ball. Rilee Rossouw and Jaskaran Malhotra were dismissed during Shadab Khan’s final three overs, which yielded only 15 runs.
By the time Russell strode out to the middle, LAKR required 99 runs off 47 balls due to Shadab’s middle-overs spell. Three additional close overs increased the total to 81 runs off four overs. Russell amassed 21 runs off of Liam Plunkett’s 17th over, but the two overs that followed yielded only 23, leaving LAKR needing an improbable 37 runs off of the final over. Stonis conceded two sixes to Narine, but LAKR fell significantly short.
Brief scores: San Francisco Unicorns 212/7 in 20 overs (Matthew Wade 78, Corey Anderson 39, Marcus Stoinis 37; Adam Zampa 3-41) beat Los Angeles Knight Riders 191/5 in 20 overs (Jason Roy 45, Andre Russell 42*; Shadab Khan 2-26) by 21 runs.
