In a remarkable turnaround, MI New York (MINY) has secured their spot in the Major League Cricket (MLC) final, overcoming Texas Super Kings (TSK) by seven wickets in the Challenger match. This victory marks a dramatic reversal of fortune for MINY, who navigated a challenging league phase, famously losing six of their first seven encounters before finding their rhythm when it mattered most.
The Texas Super Kings, batting first, aimed to set a challenging target. Openers Smit Patel and Faf du Plessis began cautiously, though Patel managed early boundaries. Du Plessis attempted to accelerate, finding a six and a boundary, but the momentum proved fleeting. The MINY bowlers, particularly Tristan Luus and Rushil Ugarkar, exerted control, breaking the top order and reducing TSK to a precarious 43 for 3 within the Powerplay.
A moment of potential reprieve for TSK saw Kieron Pollard drop a catch from Faf du Plessis, who went on to compile a crucial 59. However, scoring remained difficult, with Marcus Stoinis struggling to push the rate before eventually being dismissed. A late flourish from Akeal Hosein, who notably targeted Pollard for three sixes, and Donovan Ferreira, helped TSK reach a competitive total of 166 for 5 after 20 overs. Luus was the pick of the bowlers for MINY with 3 wickets.
The chase for MINY started shakily. Quinton de Kock departed early, and Michael Bracewell also failed to make a significant impact. The responsibility fell largely on Monank Patel, who anchored the innings despite experiencing the mixed fortunes of TSK`s fielding – being dropped not once, but twice, on 11 and 37. These lapses proved costly, allowing Monank to score a valuable 49 runs and provide stability during a period where MINY crawled to just 63 for 2 at the halfway mark.
With the required run rate climbing, the match was finely poised. However, the arrival of Kieron Pollard and Nicholas Pooran at the crease signaled a dramatic shift. Pollard, perhaps spurred by the earlier assault on his bowling, ignited the chase in the 16th over, dismantling Zia ul Haq for 22 runs in just five deliveries. Suddenly, the target of 50 runs needed from the last four overs seemed achievable.
Pooran then joined the offensive, taking on Adam Milne in the next over with a boundary and a six. With momentum firmly on their side and TSK`s earlier fielding errors looming large in hindsight, the powerful duo of Pollard and Pooran proceeded to finish the job with clinical efficiency. They combined to score 19 runs off the penultimate over bowled by Stoinis, securing the seven-wicket victory with a full over to spare.
The win caps a remarkable recovery for MI New York, transforming them from league strugglers into finalists. They now advance to face the defending champions, Washington Freedom, in what promises to be a captivating final match on Sunday.
Brief Scores: Texas Super Kings 166/5 in 20 overs (Faf du Plessis 59, Akeal Hosein 55*; Tristan Luus 3-35, Rushil Ugarkar 2-31) lost to MI New York 172/3 in 19 overs (Nicholas Pooran 52*, Monank Patel 49; Akeal Hosein 1-11) by 7 wickets.
Dominic Ashworth