The Los Angeles Knight Riders took on the Seattle Orcas in their final game of the season at Church Street Park. The Knights were looking to turn the tables and clinch the victory, in this important game of the tournament. With the stars involved in the game, it made it a much-anticipated clash and turned out to be an epic thriller of a contest.
LAKR won the toss and chose to bowl first on a pitch which looked ideal for the bowlers initially. The bowlers were quick to make the breakthroughs as Zampa got the all important wicket of Quinton De Kock and Sunil Narine knocked over the dangerous Heinrich Klaasen. The LAKR bowlers continued to impress with their execution and accurate lines and lengths. Playing his first game of the MLC, Shadley van Schalkwyk, impressed one and all by bowling an economical spell and picking up the important wicket of Shanaka. Seattle Orcas set LAKR a target of 171 runs at the end of the first innings.
LAKR chase didn’t get off to a great start as they lost their openers in quick succession, but then it was time for Rilee Rossouw to show what kind of impact he can leave on the field with bat in hand. Rossouw and LAKR’s ever-reliable Dre-Russ stitched a partnership and took the innings forward. Rossouw put on an astonishing display of ball-striking as he hit a whopping 7 sixes in his unbeaten knock of 78 which he scored off just 38 balls. Rossouw stayed in the chase till the end and took the game deep. He managed to get 32 runs of the 18th and 19th over and finished the game off in style by smashing a six. LAKR would be happy to end the campaign with a stunning victory and churning out a fascinating game for all the fans.
Match Summary:
Seattle Orcas 170/6 in 20 Ov (Jayasuriya 60* off 45 balls, Nauman 32 off 20 balls; Zampa 2/26 in 4 overs, Narine 1/30 in 4 overs) lost to LAKR 175/8 in 19.1 Ov (Rossouw 78* off 38, Russell 37 off 29; Gannon 3/13 in 4 overs, Tye 2/48 in 4 overs) by 2 wickets.
