Du Plessis, Milne and spinners combine to leave Orcas facing elimination

Broward County [Florida], July 6 (ANI): Texas Super Kings batter Faf du Plessis delivered yet another masterclass, ably supported by Shubham Ranjane's composed half-century against Seattle Orcas in the 28th encounter of the ongoing Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025, according to an official statement from the MLC.
Their efforts set the stage for a successful defence, as Adam Milne's five-wicket haul, combined with the spin duo of Noor Ahmad and Akeal Hosein, ensured that the Texas Super Kings handed a comprehensive 51-run defeat to the Seattle Orcas -- leaving them on the brink of elimination in the third season of the competition.
Just an hour before du Plessis stepped out to bat, LAKR's middle order had struggled to chase 29 off 18 balls on the very same wicket -- one that appeared too slow for clean timing. But then came du Plessis, who not only timed the ball to perfection but did so at a remarkable strike rate, continuing his glorious form as one of this season's leading run-scorers, as per a press release from MLC.
Being put in to bat first by the Orcas' skipper Sikandar Raza, du Plessis and his opening partner Smit Patel quickly launched an attack, with the latter scoring three boundaries off the very first over delivered by Raza.
After Patel lost his wicket to Jasdeep Singh in the final over of the powerplay, Raza delivered another blow to the Super Kings when he ran out Saiteja Mukkamalla in the 8th over. The quick loss of wickets did not deter du Plessis, who, in partnership with a calm Shubham Ranjane, targeted Orcas' medium pacer Cameron Gannon, accumulating 28 runs from him in two overs.
As per MLC, Du Plessis took a calculated approach -- rotating the strike and hitting frequent boundaries, including back-to-back sixes off Kyle Mayers -- to maintain an above-par run rate, maximising pressure on the Orcas. Ranjane, in tandem, proved a worthy ally yet again, amassing 65 off 41 deliveries as the Super Kings posted 188/4 -- a tough total for the Orcas to chase if they were to remain alive in the competition.
The Orcas launched their response with positive intent in the first three overs as David Warner and Kyle Mayers scored 25. Du Plessis handed the ball to Donovan Ferreira in a surprising move that paid off when the latter's gentle off-spin halted the run flow, leaking only three runs. Adam Milne capitalized well on Ferreira's quiet over, following it up with a double-wicket over, accounting for Warner and an in-form Shayan Jahangir to deliver a strong early blow to the Orcas' chase, the statement added.
Du Plessis then turned to his spinners to do their magic on a productive surface. Akeal Hosein and Noor Ahmad were up to the task, tearing apart the Orcas' middle order with two scalps each. Hosein's wicket of the Orcas' powerhouse Shimron Hetmyer was a decisive blow, denying the latter another chance to repeat his heroics in a chase.
With Hetmyer back to the pavilion, Adam Milne returned to dismantle the tail, finishing with 5/23 as Seattle were bundled out for 137. The defeat leaves them all but out of playoff contention, with the Orcas now needing MI New York to lose emphatically to have any chance of qualifying next week.
The defeat concluded an underwhelming campaign for Seattle Orcas, who managed to win only three games after a disastrous start at Oakland. On the other hand, finishing their stint at Lauderhill on a high note, the Texas Super Kings will be rejuvenated as they fly back home to Dallas for the Playoffs next week.
Brief Score: Texas Super Kings 188/4 in 20 overs (Faf du Plessis 91, Shubham Ranjane 65*; Cameron Gannon 1/35) beat Seattle Orcas 137 (Kyle Mayers 35, Shimron Hetmyer 26; Adam Milne 5/23). (ANI)