Henriques messes up Klaasen’s stumps with the ball (Twitter)
Seattle Orcas defeated Washington Freedom by five wickets in a thrilling third match of the Major League Cricket (MLC) at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas.
Henriques stunned Klaasen with a perfect Jaffa
The highlight of the game was a magnificent delivery from Moises Henriques, who was returned to the pavilion by Henrich Klaasen for just one run.
Chasing a relatively modest target of 145 runs set by their opponents, the Seattle-based team faced a challenging start. A shaky start saw the team score 36/2 in less than seven overs. All eyes then turned to Nauman Anwar and veteran Klaassen, both of whom were tasked with reviving their team’s slump.
However, Captain Moises Henriques of the Washington Freedom had other plans. The experienced player showed his skills with an exceptionally slow delivery that went back in, broke Klaasen’s defense and smashed the stumps. This wicket saw the Orcas struggle to 43/3, putting their victory in jeopardy.
A 53-run partnership between Imad Wasim and Shimron Hetmyer started the tide, followed by a powerful 52-run partnership between Wasim and Subham Ranjane. This concerted team effort eventually saw the Orcas cross the finish line with five wickets and two balls to spare.
Earlier, Washington Freedom mounted a challenging 144/7 in 20 overs. Despite a shaky start at 100/6 after 14 overs, a late surge of power from Akeel Hossain, who smashed a 22-ball 33, lifted the team’s score to a more respectable total.
Meanwhile, the victory marks the Seattle Orcas’ first win in the MLC 2023 league, moving them to third place in the points table, just behind the Texas Super Kings and San Francisco Unicorns, and securing victory in their first matches.