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Hetmyer Leads Seattle Orcas to Third Straight Victory in MLC 2025
Shimron Hetmyer Shines Again in a Tense Chase
Seattle Orcas clinched their third consecutive win in the ongoing Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 tournament, thanks to yet another heroic knock from their star batter, Shimron Hetmyer. The West Indian cricketer remained unbeaten on 78 off just 37 deliveries, guiding his team to a thrilling four-wicket win over table-toppers San Francisco Unicorns with three balls to spare.
Hetmyer’s innings, studded with four boundaries and seven towering sixes, once again underlined his growing stature as the Orcas’ go-to match-winner. With this win, the Orcas have significantly boosted their playoff prospects, leaving MI New York and LA Knight Riders lagging behind by four crucial points.
San Francisco Unicorns Post Competitive Total
Middle-Order Momentum Helps Unicorns Recover
Batting first on a sluggish Lauderhill track, the San Francisco Unicorns managed to post a challenging total of 168/5 in their 20 overs. Despite losing Matthew Short in the first over, they recovered quickly thanks to Jake Fraser-McGurk’s brisk knock and Sanjay Krishnamurthi’s aggressive middle-overs batting.
Krishnamurthi led the charge with a vital 41-run cameo, peppered with powerful sixes that kept the scoreboard ticking. Though Tim Seifert struggled at one end, Unicorns reached 100/3 in 12 overs. The lower-order trio of Seifert, Hassan Khan, and Romario Shepherd provided late impetus by adding 40 runs in the last three overs.
Waqar Salamkheil, Kyle Mayers, and Gerald Coetzee were effective at the death, conceding just seven runs across two overs to momentarily pull things back for Seattle.
Orcas Stumble Before Hetmyer Steps Up
Bowling Struggles and Top-Order Collapse
Chasing 169, the Orcas’ innings began on a shaky note. Xavier Bartlett sent back both openers—Steven Taylor and Kyle Mayers—early, leaving them reeling at 31/2 at the end of the powerplay. A brief resurgence from Shayan Jahangir (36 off 26) added hope, but twin dismissals in the 10th over derailed their chase once again.
It was then that Hetmyer took charge.
Hetmyer Repeats the Script: Calm Under Pressure
Shimron Hetmyer started aggressively, smashing three sixes in his first seven balls to quickly swing the momentum in Orcas’ favor. He remained unfazed even as Heinrich Klaasen was dismissed, bringing the equation down to 55 needed off 30 balls. A calculated partnership with Aaron Jones kept the scoreboard moving without risking their wickets.
Hetmyer targeted Matthew Short and Romario Shepherd with aggressive intent, repeatedly punishing loose deliveries. Although Jones fell in the 17th over to Liam Plunkett, Hetmyer continued undeterred. A six off Brody Couch in the 18th over followed by Coetzee’s boundary helped further ease the pressure.
With eight needed off the final over, Hetmyer smashed a six over long-on and finished the job with a boundary to seal a memorable win for the Orcas.
Brief Scores
San Francisco Unicorns: 168/5 in 20 overs (Sanjay Krishnamurthi 41, Jake Fraser-McGurk 35; Ayan Desai 2-32)
Seattle Orcas: 169/6 in 19.3 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 78*, Shayan Jahangir 36; Xavier Bartlett 2-24)
Read More: Seattle Orcas’ Previous Match Recap Against MI New York
For more insights on MLC 2025 standings and fixtures, visit the official Major League Cricket website.
