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What a Game! The San Francisco Unicorns lit up the Oakland Coliseum last night, chasing down 183 against MI New York in a jaw-dropping finish that had fans on their feet. After a heartbreaking loss a couple of nights ago, MI New York looked sharp and ready to roll, but the Unicorns, playing back-to-back games, proved they’re a force to be reckoned with. Here’s the full scoop on an epic Match 6 in Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025!

The Unicorns won the toss and chose to bowl, banking on their bowlers to keep things tight on Oakland’s batting-friendly pitch. MINY, still smarting from their recent defeat, came out looking like a team on a mission. The Unicorns, fresh off a game the previous night, showed no signs of fatigue, ready to make their home ground a fortress.

MI New York’s Batting: De Kock and Pollard Bring the Heat

MINY’s innings got off to a rocky start with young opener Agni Chopra struggling again in his debut MLC season, falling early. But step up, Quinton de Kock! The South African star was in full beast mode, smashing 63 runs off just 38 balls. He absolutely owned the leg side, taking advantage of the shorter boundaries with four massive sixes and a flurry of boundaries. Monank Patel chipped in with a quick 20 off 14 balls, keeping the scoreboard ticking before getting out.

Things got dicey for MINY in the middle overs as Nicholas Pooran and Doug Bracewell fell in quick succession, threatening to derail the innings. Enter Kieron Pollard, who reminded everyone why he’s a T20 legend. Batting at a strike rate close to 200, Pollard’s late fireworks powered MINY to a solid 182/6 in their 20 overs. It was a total that felt competitive, especially with Oakland’s reputation for high-scoring games.

The Unicorns’ bowling was led by the sensational Haris Rauf, who’s absolutely owning MLC 2025. He snagged 2 wickets for just 24 runs in his four overs, cementing his spot at the top of the wicket-takers’ chart. Hassan Khan was a bit pricey but grabbed two key scalps.

Unicorns’ Chase: From Rock Bottom to Sky High

Chasing 183, the Unicorns came out swinging but were hit hard in the powerplay. Naveen-ul-Haq and Ehsan Adil were on fire, ripping through the top order and leaving the Unicorns reeling at 42/4. At that point, MINY looked like they had the game in the bag, and the Oakland crowd was holding its breath.

But cricket’s a funny game, isn’t it? Enter Hassan Khan, the "Domestic Cheat-code" and Xavier Bartlett, who decided to rewrite the script with one of the most insane batting displays you’ll ever see. Khan smashed 43 off just 17 balls, including five monster sixes, while Bartlett went even bigger with 59 off 25 balls, also clearing the ropes five times.

Together, they blazed 102 runs in just 42 balls, turning a near-certain defeat into a victory for the ages. The Unicorns crossed the line at 183/4 with five balls to spare, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.

MINY didn’t help their cause with some sloppy fielding—think 12-15 runs gifted through misfields and a couple of dropped catches that proved costly. Those mistakes, combined with some loose bowling in the death overs, let the Unicorns steal the game right from under their noses.

Stars of the Show

•⁠ ⁠Quinton de Kock (MINY): His 63 off 38 balls, with four sixes, set the tone for MINY’s innings. Pure class!

•⁠ ⁠Kieron Pollard (MINY): A near-200 strike rate in the death overs—Pollard doing Pollard things.

•⁠ ⁠Haris Rauf (Unicorns): 2/24 in four overs, proving he’s the king of the bowling charts right now.

•⁠ ⁠Hassan Khan (Unicorns): 43* off 17 (5 sixes) and 2 wickets—an all-round masterclass.

•⁠ ⁠Xavier Bartlett (Unicorns): 59* off 25 (5 sixes)—a match-winning knock that stole the show.

•⁠ ⁠Sunny Patel (MINY): 1/24 in four overs, keeping MINY in check when it mattered.

The San Francisco Unicorns are making the Oakland Coliseum their own personal playground, now 3-0 at home. They’ve shrugged off the so-called “twilight curse” and shown they can chase big totals with ice in their veins. Hassan Khan and Xavier Bartlett’s heroics are the kind of moments that define a tournament, and this team looks like a serious title contender.

For MI New York, it’s another gut-punch in a close game. De Kock and Pollard showed their class, and their bowlers had the Unicorns on the ropes, but fielding errors and death-over struggles cost them dearly. With two losses already, MINY need to find their groove—and fast—if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive.

MLC 2025 is serving up drama left and right, and the Oakland Coliseum is proving to be the place to be for heart-stopping cricket. Can’t wait to see what’s next!

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