The San Francisco Unicorns extended their unbeaten streak to six matches and became the first team to qualify for the MLC 2025 playoffs after a comprehensive 32-run victory over the Seattle Orcas in Dallas. The win, built on standout all-round performances and disciplined bowling, further solidified their dominance at the top of the points table.
The match saw multiple momentum shifts, but the Unicorns held their nerve thanks to crucial contributions from captain Matthew Short, Romario Shepherd, and pacer Haris Rauf. After being sent in to bat, the Unicorns suffered an early setback when opener Finn Allen fell in the second over. A steadying 68-run second-wicket partnership between Jake Fraser-McGurk and Short helped rebuild the innings before Seattle’s Harmeet Singh triggered a dramatic collapse.
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Fraser-McGurk’s 34 off 21 was ended by Harmeet, who went on to remove both Short and Hassan Khan in the same over, reducing San Francisco from a comfortable 86/1 to a shaky 103/6. Short had been in sublime form, scoring 52 off just 29 balls with seven boundaries and two sixes.
With the innings in danger of falling apart, Romario Shepherd launched a rescue mission. Blasting 56 from 31 deliveries, including four sixes and four fours, he powered the Unicorns to a respectable 176/8. Gerald Coetzee added late pressure with a fiery spell of 3 for 34, dismissing key middle-order batsmen.
Seattle’s reply began on a promising note with opener Shayan Jahangir punishing the new ball bowlers, racing to 40 from 22 balls. However, his dismissal to Shepherd in the seventh over turned the tide. In the very next over, Short struck a double blow, removing veterans David Warner and Kyle Mayers in quick succession.
The Orcas never truly recovered. Despite brief resistance from Shimron Hetmyer and Sujit Nayak, the middle and lower order crumbled under pressure. Haris Rauf returned to close out the innings in style, removing Hetmyer, Gerald Coetzee, and Cameron Gannon to seal the result. Rauf’s figures of 4 for 32 proved decisive in wrapping up the tail.
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