- MI New York batters struggled, scoring 143/9 against Unicorns bowling.
- Lhuan-dre Pretorius’ maiden T20 century guided Unicorns’ chase.
- Unicorns secured nine-wicket victory, topping the points table.
Major League Cricket (MLC) 2026: The 23rd match of Major League Cricket (MLC) 2026 witnessed absolute carnage in Dallas as 20-year-old South African sensation Lhuan-dre Pretorius hammered his maiden T20 century. Playing a breathtaking knock of 102* off just 52 deliveries, the opening batter guided the San Francisco Unicorns (SFU) to a resounding nine-wicket victory over defending champions MI New York (MINY) at the Grand Prairie Stadium. Chasing a modest target of 144 runs, the Unicorns made absolute mockery of the MINY bowling attack, cruising across the finish line in just 15.4 overs to claim the top spot on the points table.
MI New York Batters Struggle to Gain Momentum
Earlier in the evening, after losing the toss and being asked to bat first, Nicholas Pooran’s MI New York unit failed to build any significant partnerships.
While opener Ryan Rickelton provided a fiery start with a 21-ball 35, the team lost standard pillars Quinton de Kock and Monank Patel well within the powerplay.
The middle-order could not rescue the run rate either. Captain Nicholas Pooran labored to a 24-ball 19, and veteran finisher Kieron Pollard was restricted to 16 runs off 13 balls.
It took a late, fighting cameo from lower-order batsman Sunny Patel, who hit 32 off 23 balls, to drag MI New York to a baseline total of 143/9 in their allotted 20 overs.
The Unicorns’ bowling unit was spearheaded exceptionally well by skipper Matthew Short, who dismantled the lineup with figures of 3/24. Fast bowlers Aaron Hardie (2/17) and Haris Rauf (2/24) provided flawless support to break MINY’s backbone.
Pretorius Storm Blurs the Target
What looked like a competitive pitch suddenly turned into a highway when Lhuan-dre Pretorius took center stage.
Opening the innings alongside Finn Allen (20 off 17 balls), Pretorius set the tone from the very first over. The duo posted a rapid 52-run opening stand inside the first six overs to strip away any pressure.
Following Allen’s departure, Pretorius joined forces with captain Matthew Short (19* off 25 balls) to construct an unbroken 94-run partnership.
The young left-hander, who plays for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL and represents South Africa across all formats, brought up his fifty in 30 balls before launching an extraordinary assault on the MI New York bowling contingent.
Even the legendary Trent Boult had no answers to the onslaught, turning out to be MINY’s most expensive bowler by leaking 41 runs in his 3 overs.
Dramatic Finish to Chase
The finale of the match brought an exciting sequence of events. With San Francisco needing just one run to secure the win, Pretorius found himself stranded on 98 runs two short of his historic milestone.
Facing pacer Rushil Ugarkar in the 16th over, the youngster kept his composure and cracked a brilliant boundary.
The single shot simultaneously brought up his maiden T20 hundred and triggered wild celebrations in the dugout as the Unicorns wrapped up the game with 26 balls to spare.
Pretorius walked off undefeated on 102, a magnificent innings decorated with 10 elegant boundaries and 5 towering, sky-high sixes.
