San Francisco Unicorns Dominate Seattle Orcas, Clinch First MLC 2025 Playoff Spot

The San Francisco Unicorns secured their place as the first team in the MLC 2025 playoffs after defeating the Seattle Orcas by 32 runs in Dallas on Wednesday. Their dominant performance extends their unblemished record to six wins, solidifying their position at the top of the league standings. The Orcas, on the other hand, suffered their fifth consecutive loss, remaining at the bottom of the table.

San Francisco Unicorns players celebrate their dominant win against the Seattle Orcas.

Matthew Short's all-round brilliance, coupled with Romario Shepherd's explosive batting and Haris Rauf's exceptional four-wicket haul, proved pivotal in the Unicorns' triumph.

After being put in to bat, the Unicorns faced an early setback with the loss of Finn Allen in the second over. However, Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matt Short forged a crucial 68-run partnership for the second wicket, stabilizing the innings and injecting momentum. McGurk's dismissal for a brisk 34 off 21 balls in the eighth over triggered a mini-collapse, as the Unicorns slipped from 86 for 1 to 103 for 6. Short, who was in fine form, smashing seven boundaries and two sixes during his 29-ball innings, departed for 52 after being dismissed by Harmeet Singh.

Romario Shepherd then took center stage, unleashing a barrage of four sixes and four fours in his blistering 56 off 31 balls. His impressive innings propelled the Unicorns to a competitive total of 176 for 8. Gerald Coetzee also contributed with 3 for 34, claiming crucial middle-order wickets.

Despite a promising start to their chase, the Orcas were unable to secure their first win of the season. Shayan Jahangir played aggressively, scoring 40 off just 22 balls. However, Shepherd dismissed Jahangir in the seventh over, breaking the opening stand.

In the subsequent over, Short struck twice, removing both David Warner and Kyle Mayers. The Orcas struggled to recover from these early blows, losing wickets at regular intervals. Shimron Hetmyer and Sujit Nayak attempted to rebuild the innings, but their efforts were short-lived. Rauf, who had previously dismissed Heinrich Klaasen, wrapped up the innings by dismissing Coetzee and Hetmyer in the 16th over and Cameron Gannon in the 18th, finishing with impressive figures of 4 for 32.

Match Summary:

• San Francisco Unicorns: 176 for 8 (Romario Shepherd 56, Matthew Short 52; Harmeet Singh 3-22, Gerald Coetzee 3-34)
• Seattle Orcas: 144 all out (Shayan Jahangir 40; Haris Rauf 4-32, Short 3-12)