Hurdle 1, cleared. DB smashes, TB foxes, and we are into Qualifier 2
By MI New York Media
The big hour, the big game, and we have just stepped it all up, so very efficient, so very seamlessly. The MI Family winning mentality was on display big time at Dallas, and it was a delicious treat. With our usual skipper Polly injured, Nicky P took up the mantle, shrewdly shuffled the bowling around, and strangled. From DB to TB, it was time to paint the Grand Prarie in Blue and Gold!
Top Bowling, TB
They say champions just crave the big stage. They say champions know to identify the big moments. Well, ask Trent Boult. Even among champions, he is in the peak stage. Defending a there-and-there-abouts total of 141, he was on the money right from the beginning, trapping Matthew Short LBW in his second over. The turning point though was the foxing of the dangerous-looking Glenn Phillips off a slower delivery to break Washington’s back, before coming back, and making sure he did, cleaning up Marco Jansen and Akeal Hossain, both off brilliant catches from David Weise, killing all possibilities of a scare.
The rise and the rise of Nosh and his mystery
Gous c Tim David b Nosthush Kenjige 24(25). Mukhtar Ahmed run out (Nosthush Kenjige) 19(19). Pienaar lbw b Nosthush Kenjige 4(4). In a span of three overs, our man produced a slower delivery that a set-Gous misread, an absolutely stunning direct hit from backward point, and a dead-straight arm ball to pin Pienaar plumb. If Freedom thought they’d seen out the danger in Boult, ah, well, they were in for a shock!
USA, take a look at the no-look striking-machine
Let’s rewind a slight bit. MI New York were in a spot of bother 41/3 in the tenth over. Dewald Brevis, back in the XI, and back in the middle-order, took his time at the start, getting his eye in with 15 runs off his first 16 balls. His first signs of cutting loose came in the 12th over with a four and a six off Moises Henriques. The bugle was sounded. A six came off each of the next four overs, and with Tim David giving him good company, the tables had turned. The momentum was ours.
Woohoo. Let’s say it and say it together: WE ARE INTO THE SECOND QUALIFIER. And while we wait for the next few hours to see the result of the first qualifier and who we face, let’s celebrate quickly, for we need to put everything behind us and gear up to take the ground in just under 24 hours!
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“The best in our batting is yet come to come”: Nicholas Pooran
Two wins in three games from the LA leg. On some tough batting wickets, MI New York showed a lot of fight and character. As we head back to Dallas for the last three league games with a mission to qualify for the playoffs, skipper, Nicholas Pooran believes the peak is still to come.“The next week is going to be really important, with the final three games in Dallas. This week was really important for us and we're leaving LA with two wins from three games. As a captain, we're really happy and we'll continue to build,” he said on the back of the loss to San Francisco Unicorns. “Our batting has been improving, we'll keep fighting, and I believe the best is yet to come.”One of the bright spots in the game was Tristan Luus, whose late contribution with the bat (12) and a 2/21 with the ball kept MINY in the hunt. At the post-match press conference, he spoke about bouncing back from such games. “I think there is a lot of teams that have bad games and bad days. It’s all about the bounce back. We have a good team and we are still in a good position in this tournament. We just need to regroup, have a good conversation about this game and then from there basically don’t try to think about this game.”There’s an instant redemption on offer as both these teams clash once again in Texas in two days. With just two points separating the top-ranked and the bottom-ranked team on the table, this sure is heating up! 07 Jul, 2026SFUvMINY report: Arghhh, not quite the perfect end to the LA leg :(
It wasn’t our day. On the wrong side of the toss and put in to bat when the pitch was sticky, the MI New York batters just couldn’t get going. Undone by some sharp bowling, it was a late effort from the tail that got us past 100, and then our seamers tried hard too, but with the ball skidding on under lights and the advantage of chasing a smallish target, it wasn’t to be. Pooran tries infusing momentum, but MINY wobbleEvery match, we’ve had someone step up, play the anchor, and bat through. It looked like Nicholas Pooran would be that guy tonight, looking good with four fours in his 19-ball 20, as the rest of the top-order fell around him. But he too fell in the seventh over. It wasn’t a day for Kieron Pollard’s heroics either as the team collapse to 65/7 in the 15th over. Bosch, Luus and a late-order resurgence Corbin Bosch: 22(21)Tristan Luus: 12(14)And thanks to this 30-run stand for the eighth wicket to get the team up to 104, MINY had something to play around with. A sliver of hope. What a debut, Faisal! Debuts just don’t get any sweeter. Opening the bowling, off the first legal ball of his career, he cleaned up the dangerous Lhuan-dre Pretorius. And then followed up next over with a sharp bouncer that got big on Finn Allen, who could only miscue it as far as mid-on. With Tristan Luus and Tajinder Dhillon chipping in, at 66/4, there was slight hope of a special Blue and Gold defence, but alas, Matthew Short and Sanjay Krishnamurthi kept going and saw the Unicorns home. Chip up Fam, we’ve played some special cricket over the last three games to sustain the kind of run we did. As we head back to Texas for our final league leg with the playoffs berth beckoning, this is the time to not lose steam. We have an instant opportunity with the reverse fixture coming up in the very next game to set things right.. 06 Jul, 2026Match 7 | SFUvMINY preview: Writing our legacy as the table-toppers!
It’s a lovely WWWinning streak we are a part of here. We’re also loving the Big Apple feeling in Tinseltown. This is our opportunity to close this Los Angeles leg as the table toppers! From a Pollard century, to a Pollard final over defence, to a Pollard blitz, it’s safe to say this has been a season with our big man’s stamp firmly on it. While he’s been a constant, every match has seen a new hero emerge. Another win here should put one foot into the playoffs territory. Let’s storm our WWWWay through! What: San Francisco Unicorns vs MI New York When: July 5, 2026 | 6:30pm local time (July 6, 7:00am IST)Where: Knight Riders Cricket Field, Pomona What to expect: Apart from that one game where MINY won a low-scoring thriller by defending a total against the Seattle Orcas, this has been a chasing ground. In fact, this has largely been a chasing tournament. While it has become more batting friendly, it still promises to be another nail-biter. 05 Jul, 2026
