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MI New York produced a remarkable turnaround to defeat Seattle Orcas by 17 runs in Major League Cricket (MLC) 2026, dealing a major blow to the Orcas’ play-off hopes after defending what looked like a vulnerable total. Seattle seemed to be on a roll in their chase of 180, reaching 137 for 1 after 15 overs with Tim Seifert and Matthew Breetzke in complete control. The pair had already added hundred percent and only 43 runs were required from the last five overs. However, the chase unraveled dramatically as MI New York struck at regular intervals. The Orcas lost five wickets in the closing stages and managed just two boundaries in the last two overs, allowing New York to grab an unlikely victory. Kieron Pollard he caused a collapse by hitting Breetzke with a slower delivery. The veteran celebrated with his signature “finger to the brain” gesture before promptly leaving the field after appearing to injure his shoulder. Despite the scare, Pollard returned later in the innings and made another key contribution by taking a catch and dismissing his West Indian compatriot Shimron Hetmyer, who attempted to attack Rushil Ugarkar after a quiet 17th over. Although Seattle still had the dangerous Seifert in place, and the New Zealand batsman even survived a missed chance in the 18th over, MI New York kept their composure. Romario Shepherd then turned the match in favor of New York. First he bowled a superb yorker for removal Marcus Stoinis before Seifert fell behind in the penultimate over conceding just three runs. With Seattle needing 22 runs to complete the final over, Pollard closed the contest to seal an incredible victory for MI New York. Earlier, the New York exchanges bounced back brilliantly from a peak collapse. Reduced to 73 for 5 in the 12th over, they looked destined for a sub-par score before Pollard and Tajinder Dhillon transformed the innings with a match-defining partnership. The damage was primarily done by Seattle captain Marcus Stoinis, who took the first five catches of his T20 career. He removed Ryan Rickelton early, dismissed Monanko Patel with a slower cutter after Shakib Al Hasan fell for 15, and continued to expertly exploit the conditions on the Dallas surface. Ottneil Baartman also made an impact with the bowling of Nicholas Pooran, whose struggling season continued. Pollard and Dhillon then launched a stunning recovery, adding 80 runs in less than seven overs. Their counter-attack featured seven sixes and 13 fours as they punished everything lost. Dhillon, who benefited from two lost catches in the 17th and 18th overs, raced to his half-century off just 22 deliveries while reading the slower balls effectively. Stoinis made a late comeback to dismiss Pollard, Shepherd and Trent Boult in the space of five balls, but Dhillon ensured MI New York finished strongly by taking 20 runs from Dasun Shanaka in the final over. Those late drives proved crucial in the end. Dhillon remained unbeaten on 66 to register his first fifty of the season and was named man of the match. After the match, he dedicated the award to his brother, who was also his first cricket coach and passed away in January. The win lifted MI New York into second place in the standings, while the Seattle Orcas must now win their final league game to keep their playoff hopes alive. Brief scores: MI New York 179/8 in 20 overs (Tajinder Dhillon 66*, Kieron Pollard 54; Marcus Stoinis 5-46, Ottneil Baartman 2-18) beat Seattle Orcas 162/6 in 20 overs (Tim Seifert 88, Matthew Breetzke 44; Kieron Pollard 2-9, Romario Shepherd 2-13) by 17 runs.
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