Right then, that is it from this exciting encounter between the Los Angeles Knight Riders and Seattle Orcas. However, the action doesn’t stop here and we will be back with more games from Major League Cricket 2024. The next game will be played between the San Francisco Unicorns and the Texas Super Kings at Morrisville on 11th July, Thursday. The first ball will be bowled at 12.30 am IST (7.00 pm GMT the previous day) but our coverage will start much earlier. Until then, goodbye and cheers!

Ryan Rickelton is the Player of the Match for his scintillating knock of 103 runs in 66 deliveries. He says that he is just happy to be out there and contribute to the team. Adds that he was panicking when he got close to the ton and Quinton de Kock wasn't helping as well. Says that it is always fun to play with him and he is a phenomenal player. Mentions that the wicket was a bit sticky early on but it got better and that is why they chased. Further adds that it was a shocking run with which he completed the hundred, and they decided before that whatever happens, they would run and luckily Narine missed.

Heinrich Klaasen, the captain of Seattle Orcas says that they executed the plan perfectly and credits Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton for their partnership. Mentions that they had to work on their mistakes in the previous game. Says that they have a quality group of local players and the experience of overseas players which makes his task a bit easier. Mentions that he was a bit nervous in the last over but he had faith in his batters.

Sunil Narine, the skipper of Los Angeles Knight Riders says that they had a decent start but they couldn't take wickets at regular intervals. Feels that they played a good game and mentions that another 15-20 runs on the board would help them. Says that the conditions are better for the team batting second and that has been the norm on this side of the world. Ends by saying they will adapt and bounce back strongly.

The presentation ceremony...

Earlier in the innings, we saw that after a good start by the Los Angeles Knight Riders in the initial phases, they fell behind the eight-ball in the middle overs. A few good overs by the Orcas put them under pressure and that resulted in a few wickets as well. However, the show that David Miller put up in the last few overs helped the Knight Riders end their innings at 168 runs.

Wayne Parnell from the Seattle Orcas is up for a chat. He says that they bounced back very well after losing the first game. Adds that they bowled nicely and there were some good pieces of fielding as well, and then the brilliant partnership between Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton. Says that he has been unwell but is recovering well. Mentions that the communication between the two batters was important. Ends by saying that the bucket hat is a part of trying to grow cricket in the US.

Spencer Johnson gave a strong start to the Los Angeles Knight Riders as he sent back Nauman Anwar early on in the innings. After that, things went downhill for them as they failed to get any breakthrough and allowed a big partnership to be formed. They managed to keep things quiet for a while but after 10 overs they had to face the onslaught of the batters. They made some errors in the field as well which might be discussed in the team meetings later on. They took the game till the last over but Ali Khan didn’t have much left to defend. They fought hard but fell short of the win.

Seattle Orcas had a shaky start with the early dismissal of Nauman Anwar. However, a strong partnership between the South African pair of Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock released the pressure. Ryan Rickelton took the aggressive approach initially while de Kock took his time to get used to the conditions and then unleashed his array of shots. They dominated after the halfway mark of the innings and attacked every bowler. The constant rotation of strike too kept the pressure on the opponents and allowed them to bat freely. Ryan Rickelton got to his maiden T20 century while Quinton de Kock scored a half-century to finish things in their favor.

It was another last-over finish in the Major League Cricket but the Seattle Orcas have taken home those two points. Thanks to the 152-run stand between Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton, they have managed to do it in style and earned themselves their first win of the season.

Strategic Break! The Seattle Orcas are inches away from a victory courtesy of this partnership between Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton. Both these batters have shown intent and batted sensibly keeping the pressure on the opponents. Los Angeles Knight Riders, on the other hand, will need a few quick wickets to get back in the game. Their morale seems to have dropped as seen by their fielding in the last couple of overs. With less than run a ball required to win, Seattle Orcas should look to keep the aggressive approach and improve their NRR.