Major League Cricket: Monak's knock helped MI New York beat Seattle Orcas

Oakland, June 19: As the Major League Cricket (MLC) wraps up a thrilling week at the Oakland Coliseum, Monank Patel's fast and steady knock, aided by an anchoring half-century from Michael Bracewell, trumped a ferocious innings from Kyle Mayers as MI New York chased 200 successfully to tick off their maiden win of the 2025 Major League Cricket (MLC), beating Seattle Orcas by 7 wickets.

Chasing a challenging target, Patel and Bracewell started off cautiously after New York lost De Kock in the 5th over. As the run rate crept up, Patel started taking his chances, taking on a disciplined Orcas attack, who were let down by a few missed chances in the field, including a tough one from skipper Klaasen. Patel's acceleration was too quick for Orcas to control, as the U.S. skipper went from 30 off the first 25 to 63 off the next 25 deliveries of his innings, including 19 from Harmeet Singh's second over.

Patel's dominance (93 in 50 balls, with eight fours and seven sixes) was in tandem with an all-round Bracewell, who followed his economical spell of 20/1 with a composed half-century (50* in 35 balls, with three fours and three sixes) that ultimately proved crucial in the context of the game in the ultimate overs of the chase.

Earlier, after winning the toss, the Orcas did not have the best of starts as an out-of-form David Warner and Aaron Jones went back to the pavilion inside the powerplay.

However, a determined Kyle Mayers and a composed Shayan Jahangir (43 in 34 balls, with three fours and three sixes) paired up to dictate the course of the innings. As Jahangir kept the scoreboard rolling, Mayers broke the shackles to start dominating the proceedings. The left-hander from Barbados smashed 88 runs, including 10 maximums and 3 fours, setting the stage for a big total before quick cameos from Klaasen and Hetmyer made it happen.

Both teams head to Dallas, where New York face off against Washington Freedom on Saturday, while Seattle Orcas and LA Knight Riders clash on Sunday in pursuit of their first win this season.

Match Summary:

MI New York won by 7 wickets (with 6 balls remaining)

SEO: 200/5 (Kyle Mayers 88, Shayan Jahangir 43, Michael Bracewell 20/1, Trent Boult 29/1)

MINY: 203/3 (Monank Patel 93, Michael Bracewell 50, Kieron Pollard 26, Sikandar Raza 37/2).

Reader Comments

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Rahul K.

What a knock by Monank Patel! 🇮🇳 So proud to see Indian-origin players shining in MLC. His acceleration after the 25-ball mark was pure class. Hope this league grows bigger and gives more opportunities to our desi talents abroad. #CricketWithoutBorders

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Priya M.

Exciting match but fielding standards need improvement. So many dropped catches! Seattle would've won if they held those chances. Still, great entertainment for cricket fans in USA. Hope to see more Indian players join MLC next season.

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Arjun S.

Kyle Mayers' 88 was absolute fire! 🔥 But MI New York's middle order showed great composure. Interesting to see how this league develops - could become a good platform for young Indian players to gain experience before IPL.

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Shreya N.

Bracewell was the real MVP - economical bowling AND a match-winning fifty. That's proper all-round performance. MLC is getting interesting with these close matches. Hope they broadcast it properly in India next season!

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Vikram J.

As an Indian cricket fan, it's heartening to see the sport growing in USA. But the empty stands in Oakland were disappointing. They need better marketing to attract local audiences. The quality of cricket deserves bigger crowds!

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Neha P.

Monank's innings reminded me of vintage Dhoni finishes! That acceleration was perfectly timed. More than the result, I'm happy cricket is getting this platform in America. Maybe one day we'll have India-Pakistan matches there too 😊

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