Seattle Orcas: Major League Cricket: Heinrich Klaasen’s century leads Seattle Orcas to a thrilling victory | Cricket News – Times of India

The Seattle Orcas won the toss and opted to bowl first. MI New York got off to a shaky start, losing opener Monank Patel (2) early in the third over, followed by Shayan Jahangir (19) shortly after failing to capitalise on his start.
Hammad Azam (2) also fell quickly after MI crossed the 50-run mark. However, Nicholas Pooran and MI New York’s captain, Kieron Pollard, stabilised the innings with a crucial partnership. Pooran’s blistering half-century (68) helped his team go past 100 runs. Pollard contributed 34 runs before losing his wicket.

A steady partnership between Tim David and David Wiese propelled New York beyond 150 runs. In the final over, Nosthush Kenjige (3*) and Trent Boult (20*) added 22 runs, taking the total to 194 for the loss of eight wickets in 20 overs.
Imad Wasim and Harmeet Singh picked up two wickets each for the Seattle Orcas, while Cameron Gannon and Andrew Tye took a wicket each.
Chasing a formidable target, the Seattle Orcas had a decent start, but Quinton de Kock (9) failed to establish a solid partnership with Nauman Anwar, losing his wicket early in the fourth over. Shehan Jayasuriya (0) also departed quickly.

However, the partnership between Nauman Anwar and Heinrich Klaasen laid a solid foundation for the Orcas, crossing the 50-run mark in the eighth over. Anwar scored a crucial half-century (51) but lost his wicket in the eleventh over just as the team approached the 100-run milestone.
Klaasen, in great form, held the innings together, even as wickets fell around him. Shubham Ranjane (7) and Dasun Shanaka (10) were dismissed in quick succession. While Klaasen scored a half-century, Dwaine Pretorious (2) lost his wicket early in the eighteenth over. Imad Wasim (0) and Harmeet Singh (0) followed suit, leaving the Orcas in a tense situation with 19 runs needed off the final two overs.

In a sensational display of batting, Klaasen carried the hopes of his team and made history by becoming the first male cricketer to score a century in Major League Cricket. The match entered its final over with Seattle needing six runs to win, and Klaasen’s six off the second ball of the nineteenth over secured a thrilling victory for the Orcas.
Heinrich Klaasen remained unbeaten with a breathtaking 110 off just 44 balls, showcasing his immense talent and single-handedly guiding the Seattle Orcas to a remarkable triumph. Trent Boult bowled exceptionally well for MI New York, claiming four wickets, while Rashid Khan took two wickets. David Wiese and Nosthush Kenjige also contributed with one wicket each.

Brief Scores: Seattle Orcas 195/8 (Heinrich Klaasen 110*, Nauman Anwar 51, Trent Boult 4/31) beat MI New York 194/8 (Nicholas Pooran 68, Kieron Pollard 34, Imad Wasim 2/23) by 2 wickets.
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(With inputs from ANI)