Seattle Orcas defeated Texas Super Kings by nine wickets in the MLC 2023 Qualifier to advance to the championship match. They easily chased down TSK’s total of 126 with five overs to spare. Texas will face MI New York in the Challenger on Friday (29 July) for another chance at the championship.
Faf du Plessis, captain of the Super Kings, chose to bat first after observing MI New York defend 141 against Washington Freedom in the Eliminator. Conway began his innings with a boundary off the first delivery and a beautiful lofted off-drive after strolling down the pitch to Cameron Gannon in the next over. But Imad Wasim outscored Faf du Plessis by five runs when the latter succumbed attempting an aerial shot. This was the sixth failure by the TSK captain with the bat in as many matches this season.
Cody Chetty, batting at number three, hit two fours using the cut shot off Imad, and it appeared that the Super Kings would win when Conway hit his second six off Gannon. With a cross-seam delivery, the tall pacer had the last chuckle as he caught the New Zealand opener at cover. Following Conway’s demise, the scoring rate decreased, and Texas barely gained momentum.
Harmeet Singh delivered another effective spell (4-0-16-1) and dismissed Milind Kumar. Andrew Tye bowled Mitchell Santner in the very next over, resulting in the loss of half of TSK’s team with 63 runs on the board in the 12th over. David Miller got off to a slow start, but after a strategic break, he raised the ante by striking consecutive fours off Tye. He received a reprieve on 15 when Wayne Parnell dropped him at cover, but the Western Australian pacer eventually had the big-hitter in the same over with Miller nicking off for 16 and completing a hat-trick.
Daniel Sams scored 26 off 25 balls to lead Texas in scoring, but their total of 126 proved to be woefully inadequate. Sams began the second innings with a calm over, after which Rusty Theron removed Nauman Anwar. That was TSK’s final moment of happiness during the contest.
Quinton de Kock began his innings with a six over deep mid-wicket off Theron, and in the third over he scored consecutive boundaries off Sams. On 0 (Theron missing a run-out opportunity) and 2 (du Plessis dropping at mid-on), Shehan Jayasuriya’s companion received a pair of reprieves. Seattle didn’t get off to a great start, scoring 38 runs on the power play, but the asking rate was easily attainable.
After the sixth over, when Texas introduced spin from both ends, it benefited Jayasuriya, who scored two boundaries. Within three deliveries, De Kock struck Milind Kumar for four and six, reducing the Orcas’ required rate to less than one run per ball. Seattle had eliminated more than fifty percent of the target with nine wickets remaining at the halfway point.
De Kock hit the gas pedal, reached fifty off 31 balls, and blasted two sixes behind square on the leg side off Gerald Coetzee’s delivery. The left-handed batter then hit three boundaries against Mohsin, who also made a difficult return capture in the same over. Seattle romped to victory with 30 deliveries remaining as the duo forged an unbeaten 117-run second-wicket partnership with 30 balls remaining
Brief Scores: Texas Super Kings 126/9 in 20 overs (Daniel Sams 26; Andrew Tye 3/32, Imad Wasim 2/23) lost to Seattle Orcas (Quinton de Kock 88*, Shehan Jayasuriya 31*; Rusty Theron 1/20) by 9 wickets.
