CMC – Shimron Hetmyer lashed an unbeaten cameo to help Seattle Orcas to their second win on the trot, with a 35-run victory over San Francisco Unicorns in the Major League Cricket tournament here Saturday night.

The left-hander pummeled an unbeaten 36 off 30 balls, a knock which helped fire Orcas to 177 for four off their 20 overs, South African Heinrich Klaasen top-scoring with 53 from 31 deliveries.

In reply, Unicorns started strongly before fading and being dismissed for 142 in the 18th over, Pakistan leg-spinner Shaab Khan hitting 37 from 23 balls after entering at Number Six.

Orcas top the standings with four points, with Texas Super Kings and Unicorns both on two points.

Choosing to bat first at Grand Prairie Stadium, Orcas were carried early by Shehan Jayasuriya (33), who put on 44 for the second wicket with Nauman Anwar (30), before adding a further 47 for the third wicket with Klaasen, after another South African, Quinton de Kock, perished for seven in the second over, with nine runs on the board.

Klaasen, who struck four fours and three sixes, then powered the middle overs in a 54-run fourth wicket partnership with Hetmyer, the West Indies left-hander in turn putting on 23 off 14 balls in an unbroken fifth-wicket stand with Shubham Ranjane (10 not out).

Hetmyer belted a four, and two sixes, but struggled to get the ball away inside the last two overs.

Openers Matthew Wade and Finn Allen then both struck 28, as Unicorns made a positive start to get up to 86 for two at the half-way stage.

However, seamers Cameron Gannon (4-23) and Andrew Tye (2-27) scythed through the middle order, as Unicorns lost their middle and lower order in a shocking collapse.
Shadab blasted two fours, and two sixes in a rearguard effort, but perished in the 18th as the third of Gannon’s victims.