MINYvSOR report: Oh yassss!!!! We are off, chasing 200 with an over to spare
By MI New York Media
What. A. Feeling. This was exactly what we needed. After ending up on the wrong side of a couple of thrillers in the 2025 Cognizant MLC, we’ve managed to bury the ghosts, and how. At one point the asking rate really seemed to have gone beyond us, but no, with vintage Polly out in the middle, you never ever give up.
Why fear when Polly is here!
49 runs were needed off 22 balls when Kieron Pollard walked out. Michael Bracewell couldn’t quite get going until that point, battling on 26 off 29 balls. Polly wasted no time. The first ball went down the ground for four. The ball after went racing through mid-wicket. The intent was signaled. The mood was set.
And suddenly, Bracewell found his timing too, launching three sixes in Kyle Mayers’ 18th over. 23 were now needed off 12. After our mishaps in the last two games, we never were really comfortable. Obed McCoy ran in.
Ball 1: McCoy to Pollard - FOUR
Ball 2: McCoy to Pollard – FOUR
Ball 3: McCoy to Pollard – 1 run
Ball 4: McCoy to Bracewell – SIX
Ball 5: McCoy to Bracewell – 1 run (And he gets his Fifty as well)
Ball 6: McCoy to Pollard – wide
Ball 6: McCoy to Pollard – SIX
26 off 10. Kieron Pollard, seals the deal with an over to spare. Just. Polly. Things.
Monank in record-breaking mode
A target of 201 demands a solid start. Monank Patel gave us just that, and some more. “Really happy with the way we played, we fought till the end. In the second innings, when you try to hit too many shots, it is tough. Wanted to spend time, get set and then play some shots. When there was some extra pace, just wanted to use my pace,” he said in the presentation ceremony.
So, what did he do? 93 runs | 50 balls | 8 fours | 7 sixes. He never let the run-rate dip. He never let the momentum go away. He may have missed out on a well-deserved century, but this knock made sure he now holds the record for the highest score by a USA player in the MLC.
MINY start superbly with the ball, but the Orcas finish strong
At the 12-over stage, the Seattle Orcas were on 80/2. All our bowlers had done superbly to keep the scoring in check. But Kyle Mayers, along with Heinrich Klaasen and Shimron Hetmyer, cut loose in the death overs, notching up 120 in the last eight overs, and lifting their team to 200.
Phew, we really needed this. MI New York are off and running. The Oakland leg has produced some real thrillers and we’ve received great support too. It’s the perfect way for us to sign off as we head over to Dallas.
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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
