Seattle Orcas beat Texas Super Kings by 9 runs – Major League Cricket Match Report
Seattle Orcas won by 9 runs in the 21st match of 34 in Major League Cricket at Fairgrounds Cricket Stadium in Pomona. A disciplined bowling display – headlined by Ottneil Baartman‘s 3/9 from 4 overs – proved decisive as Texas Super Kings fell 9 runs short of a 122-run target. The Orcas move to 4W 4L (8pts, 2nd place) while Texas remain 6th (3W 5L, 6pts) with their playoff hopes fading.
Seattle’s Fragile 121
Texas won the toss and elected to bowl, immediately putting pressure on the Orcas’ top order. Tim Seifert was caught for 7 off just 5 balls (1 six) at 10/1 in the opening over, followed by Shayan Jahangir (3 off 10) at 15/2. Matthew Breetzke managed only 4 off 6 before falling at 15/3, leaving Seattle in early trouble.
Ali Sheikh steadied with 18 off 15 (2 fours, 1 six), but the middle order crumbled. Shimron Hetmyer contributed 11 off 15 at 48/5, and Marcus Stoinis fell for 7 at 70/6. Dasun Shanaka was clean bowled for 16 off 14 (1 four, 1 six) at 67/7, but Cameron Gannon (20 off 21, 1 four) and Jasdeep Singh (13 off 13, 1 six) added crucial lower-order runs to push Seattle to 121/9.
Amshi de Silva was Texas’s standout bowler with 3/15 from 4 overs at economy 3.75, while Adam Milne took 2/10 from 4 overs – miserly work that kept the Orcas under the cosh throughout.
Texas Chase Falters Against Baartman’s Brilliance
Texas’s chase began promisingly when Faf du Plessis struck 14 off 8 (1 four, 1 six) before falling LBW at 21/1 in the 2nd over. Saiteja Mukkamalla (6 off 8, 1 six) and Rilee Rossouw (4 off 9) departed quickly, leaving Texas at 35/3 in the powerplay.
Shubham Ranjane anchored the middle overs with 40 off 44 (5 fours) – a gritty innings that kept Texas in the hunt – but the chase stalled around him. Wiaan Mulder managed 7 off 15 at 50/5, and Dian Forrester added 11 off 17 at 69/6. Donovan Ferreira struck 22 off 16 (2 fours, 1 six) to give Texas hope at 112/7, but Baartman clean bowled him at 112/7 in the 19th over, and the final three wickets fell for no additional runs.
Dasun Shanaka was exceptional with the ball, taking 4/26 from 4 overs at economy 6.5 to seal the contest. Baartman finished with 3/9 from 4 overs (1 maiden) at economy 2.25 – a masterclass in death bowling that proved the difference.
Statz MVP: Ottneil Baartman (Statz Rating: 169.08)
Ottneil Baartman earns the Statz MVP award with a rating of 169.08. His 3/9 from 4 overs was the standout bowling performance of the match – an economy rate of 2.25 in the death overs when Texas needed runs. Baartman’s precision under pressure proved decisive in a low-scoring contest where every run mattered. The official Man of the Match was Dasun Shanaka.
Top 5 Statz Ratings
- Ottneil Baartman (SO) – Statz Rating: 169.08 – 3/9 from 4 overs. Suffocating death bowling that strangled the chase.
- Adam Milne (TSK) – Statz Rating: 124.42 – 2/10 from 4 overs at economy 2.5. Miserly powerplay bowling that set the tone.
- Amshi de Silva (TSK) – Statz Rating: 82.94 – 3/15 from 4 overs at economy 3.75. Economical and effective with the new ball.
- Dasun Shanaka (SO) – Statz Rating: 77.58 – 4/26 from 4 overs plus 16 off 14 with the bat. All-round match-winner.
- Donovan Ferreira (TSK) – Statz Rating: 42.9 – 22 off 16 (2 fours, 1 six) in a late cameo. Aggressive but too late to change the outcome.
Match Context
This was the 21st of 34 matches in the Major League Cricket regular season. Seattle Orcas (2nd, 4W 4L, 8pts, NRR +0.23) climb to second place with a crucial home win. Texas Super Kings (6th, 3W 5L, 6pts, NRR -0.122) remain in the bottom half with playoff qualification looking increasingly unlikely. Check the full scorecard and H2H history on Statz, or explore match odds and bet builder for more detail.
