LA Knight Riders vs SF Unicorns – MLC 2026 Match Report | Statz
Los Angeles Knight Riders won by 7 wickets (with 2 balls remaining) in the 2nd match of 34 in Major League Cricket 2026 at Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas. Colin Munro anchored the chase with an unbeaten 64 off 40, while Peter Siddle led a disciplined bowling effort to restrict San Francisco Unicorns to 150/7 in a rain-shortened 14-over contest.
First Innings – San Francisco Unicorns 150/7 (14 overs)
Lhuan-dre Pretorius launched the Unicorns innings with a devastating 58 off 28 balls (4 fours, 5 sixes, SR 207), putting on 70 with Finn Allen (24 off 12) for the opening stand before Allen fell caught at 70 in the 5th over. Pretorius continued blasting until he was caught at 92 in over 7.3. Matthew Short added 30 off 20 with two sixes but was run out at 143 in over 13.3. Sanjay Krishnamurthi (14 off 8) and Hassan Khan (3) fell in quick succession as the middle order stuttered. The Unicorns managed 150/7 from their reduced allocation, a competitive but not imposing total.
Sunil Narine returned 2/33 from 3 overs, while Andre Russell (1/34), Carmi le Roux (1/25, Econ 8.33) and Shadley van Schalkwyk (1/23) each chipped in.
Second Innings – LA Knight Riders 154/3 (13.4 overs)
Andre Fletcher set the tone with a blistering 34 off 17 balls (3 fours, 2 sixes, SR 200) before falling caught at 70 in the 5th over. Colin Munro was immovable throughout, reaching 64 not out off 40 balls (6 fours, 4 sixes, SR 160) to see the Knight Riders home. Rovman Powell chipped in with 17 off 11 before being caught at 99, and Jason Holder smashed 28 off 12 (2 fours, 3 sixes, SR 233) to accelerate the finish. The Knight Riders reached 154/3 with two balls to spare.
For the Unicorns, Peter Siddle was the standout bowler with 2/27 from 3 overs, while Matthew Short took 1/8 from his single over. Haris Rauf had a tough outing, going for 38 from 2.4 overs without a wicket.
Statz MVP
The Statz MVP is Lhuan-dre Pretorius with a match impact rating of 84.77. Statz calculates impact based on match context, and Pretorius’s explosive 58 off 28 set the game’s tempo despite finishing on the losing side. The official Man of the Match went to Colin Munro for his composed match-winning knock – Statz disagrees, rating the losing team’s explosive opener higher.
Top 5 Statz Ratings
- Lhuan-dre Pretorius (SFU) – MI rating 84.77 – 58 off 28, set the platform with a destructive opening blast.
- Jason Holder (LAKR) – MI rating 81.80 – 28 off 12 with the bat plus 1/31 with the ball, impactful all-round contribution.
- Colin Munro (LAKR) – MI rating 63.20 – 64* off 40, match-winning unbeaten knock.
- Andre Fletcher (LAKR) – MI rating 55.18 – 34 off 17 set up the chase at the top.
- Peter Siddle (SFU) – MI rating 54.52 – 2/27 from 3, best bowling figures of the match despite defeat.
Turning Point
The dismissal of Lhuan-dre Pretorius at 92 in over 7.3 shifted the momentum. He had been striking at 207 and was threatening to take the total well beyond 170. After his departure, the Unicorns scored just 58 from 6.3 overs for the loss of 5 wickets, failing to capitalize on the explosive start.
Match Context
This was the 2nd match of 34 in the MLC 2026 Regular Season. Los Angeles Knight Riders sit 2nd in the table (W1 L0, 2 pts, NRR +0.554) after a winning start to the season. San Francisco Unicorns are 5th (W0 L1, 0 pts, NRR -0.554), needing to bounce back quickly in a league format.
Full scorecard: LAKR vs SFU Scorecard
