MLC 2025
Faf du Plessis hit his second ton of the tournament. © MLC
The Texas Super Kings (TSK) marched into the playoffs of Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 with a comprehensive 39-run win over MI New York (MINY) in Dallas. A scintillating hundred from skipper Faf du Plessis and a clinical bowling performance led by Akeal Hosein were the standout performances for the winning side.
After being put in to bat, TSK lost Smit Patel early but du Plessis quickly found his rhythm, reaching his fifty inside the powerplay and ended up with 103 not out off just 53 balls. He struck 9 sixes and 5 fours, and forged crucial partnerships with Saiteja Mukkamalla (25) and Marcus Stoinis (25). Donovan Ferreira provided the late fireworks, hammering a 20-ball 53 to take TSK to a formidable 223/4.
In reply, MINY reshuffled their batting by sending Nicholas Pooran to open but the move didn’t pay off, the captain falling for 8 in the fourth over to Nandre Burger. Quinton de Kock made 35 but it was a sluggish start to the chase overall, with MINY tottering at 75/3 at the halfway mark and it was Akeal Hosein making all the difference. He bowled a near perfect spell, one of those overs coming in the powerplay, and finished with 3 for 15, including a maiden and the wickets of de Kock, Monank Patel and in-form Tajinder Dhillon.
Despite a late charge by Kieron Pollard, who smashed 70 off 39 balls, MINY were always behind the rate. Bracewell chipped in with 26 but once Pollard was bowled by Burger in the 19th over, the writing was on the wall.
Brief scores: Texas Super Kings 223/4 in 20 overs (Faf du Plessis 103, Donovan Ferreira 53; George Linde 2/42, Rushil Ugarkar 2/47) beat MI New York 184/9 in 20 overs (Kieron Pollard 70, Quinton de Kock 35; Akeal Hosein 3/15, Nandre Burger 2/40) by 39 runs
© Cricbuzz
