B.E.L.I.E.V.E. That’s what it’s now down to. MI New York Head Coach, Robbie Peterson, although disappointed with the loss, was still hopeful of the team’s chances to making it through to the playoffs. A lot of it will depend on other results, but here he was, speaking to the media at the post-match press conference after the game against San Francisco Unicorns on Thursday (July 18). Excerpts.. 

Thoughts on the game 

Very disappointed we didn’t get over the line there. It was ours to lose really. We found a way to lose a game from a winning position, which is very disappointing in T20 cricket. I thought they played some smart cricket between Corey (Anderson) and Hasan Khan. They played smart cricket, picked their moments and got a total on the board. There is a still a mathematical chance though, and we still believe even though it is very tiny. Guys will be hurting tonight that they didn’t get over the line. 

On trying out different opening combinations 

I think tonight was a little closer. A couple of the local boys struggled a little in this campaign compared to the last campaign. Shayan Jahangir gave us a little momentum in the powerplay. He lacked a little confidence and form. He hadn’t played much in the World Cup. We have him the opportunity but it didn’t work out. Sometimes these tournaments are very brutal like that. You have to come with confidence and cricket behind you. We thought we cracked the code tonight having DB (Dewald Brevis) up the order. 

On Heath Richards’ cameo

I’ve known him for a while now in South Africa. He is someone who goes under the radar. He has come through the development system back in South Africa and has now moved to the States. He just showed he has got serious hitting power for T20 cricket. He’s a great kid and I am glad he is able to show glimpses of what he is capable of. We should have maybe played him a little bit sooner, would’ve solved a lot of our issues.