MLC 2023 Points Table: Updated standings after Texas Super Kings vs MI New York, Challenger

The Challenger game of the inaugural MLC edition kicked off at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on July 29. Texas Super Kings locked horns against MI New York in a do-or-die clash which kept the fans on the edge of their seats.

MINY’s decision to field first paid dividends as Trent Boult got into the business straight away by removing the top two TSK batters. TSK had their backs firmly against the wall by the end of the sixth over at 40-3. Devon Conway and Milind Kumar staged a recovery as the duo put on 77 runs for the fourth wicket to steer TSK through the middle overs.

But following their dismissals, Super Kings lost their way once again and were eventually bundled out for 158. MI New York had a fine powerplay, as they accumulated 45 runs. However, Rusty Theron and Calvin Salvage kept a tight lid on New York’s scoring rate.

During the middle overs, the boundaries dried up and the required rate jumped to an astronomical high of nearly 11 RPO. But Tim David and Dewald Brevis took stock of the situation and stayed till the end to steer MINY to an emphatic six-wicket victory.

Following the conclusion of today’s challenger fixture, the Texas Super Kings have been knocked out of the tournament. This also means that MI New York will face off against Seattle Orcas in the final which is scheduled for July 31.

Texas Super Kings, Washington Freedom, San Francisco Unicorns, and Los Angeles Knight Riders are among the four teams that are out of the race.

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MI New York is all set to challenge Seattle Orcas in the maiden MLC Final

MI New York won the toss and elected to field first. They had a dream start as they got three early wickets and had the Super Kings reeling at 34 for three in 5.2 overs. Boult was on a roll during the powerplay overs as he picked up three while Adil also managed to pick up a wicket.

From here on, Devon Conway (38 off 35) and Milind Kumar (37 off 34) stitched a partnership of 77 runs off 63 deliveries to bring the Super Kings back into the game. However, after the dismissal of the duo, the Super Kings once again lost their way a bit and could not make the most of the platform the duo provided.

The lower-order batters perished in a bid to up the ante but Miller hit a couple of lusty blows to take TSK over 150. In the end, Super Kings managed to score 158 runs in their 20 overs. It was hard work for TSK but they somehow managed to pave the way to a decent score on the board. They struggled for rhythm initially on a two-paced surface but did find a few boundaries to inject some momentum into their innings. Boult was the pick of the bowlers for MINY and finished with a 4-fer.

While chasing a modest total of 159, Shayan Jahangir took off by scoring a blistering cameo of 36 off 18. Savage and Theron put on the breaks on MINY’s scoring rate during the powerplay overs reducing them to 45-2. Pooran played a sedated cameo of 23 (20) and was dismissed by Daniel Sams during the halfway stage leaving New York in a slight spot of bother.

Up until the 14th over, Texas Super Kings had things under their control and were not giving away enough runs. But a lack of wickets in the middle stages allowed MI New York to gradually gather momentum. Tim David played an exceptional cameo of 33 (20) to keep MINY afloat during the middle overs.

But just when the run rate was beginning to slow down, Dewald Brevis and David Wiese took the matter into their own hands. Brevis also kept his composure and stayed unbeaten on 41 off 33, ensuring that MI New York won the match by six wickets with an over to spare.