San Francisco Unicorns continued their impressive run in the Major League Cricket 2026 season with a commanding seven-wicket victory over Texas Super Kings in Match 4 at Grand Prairie Stadium. After opting to bowl first, the Unicorns restricted Texas to 152/9 before chasing down the target in just 17.5 overs, thanks largely to a composed 69 from Player of the Match Lhuan-dre Pretorius.
Texas struggle for momentum despite late resistance
Batting first, Texas Super Kings found themselves under pressure almost immediately as captain Faf du Plessis departed for just six runs and Saiteja Mukkamalla followed cheaply. Rilee Rossouw attempted to rebuild the innings with a fluent 36 off 29 deliveries, striking five boundaries, but the lack of substantial partnerships prevented Texas from gaining complete control.
Middle-order contributions from Donovan Ferreira (21) and Wiaan Mulder (12) offered some stability, while Milind Kumar injected momentum with 17 runs that included two sixes. However, wickets at regular intervals kept the scoring rate in check.
The biggest boost came from Hardus Viljoen, who played an entertaining knock of 33 from 24 balls, smashing three sixes and one boundary to push the total beyond the 150-run mark. Nandre Burger chipped in with an unbeaten nine off four deliveries, including a six, helping Texas finish on 152/9 from their 20 overs.
San Francisco’s bowlers shared the workload effectively. Peter Siddle led the attack with three wickets, while Matthew Short claimed two crucial scalps. Ghulam Mudassar and Brody Couch also chipped in with wickets, ensuring the batting side never gained sustained momentum.
Lhuan-dre Pretorius anchors successful chase with match-winning knock
The Unicorns’ pursuit got off to a shaky start when Finn Allen fell for just one run, but Pretorius quickly settled the innings with a mature display of stroke play and patience. The left-hander mixed caution with aggression to score 69 off 55 balls, finding the boundary eight times and clearing it once.
Short complemented him perfectly with a brisk 31 from only 19 deliveries, hitting three fours and two sixes to put the chase firmly on track. After Short’s dismissal, Connor Esterhuizen added a valuable 20 before Sanjay Krishnamurthy’s unbeaten 19 off 12 balls ensured there were no late hiccups.
Texas Super Kings managed to pick up three wickets through Burger, Viljoen and Amshi de Silva, but their bowlers struggled to contain the Unicorns once Pretorius established himself at the crease. Ferreira and Wiaan Mulder bowled economical spells without success, while the target proved too modest to defend.
San Francisco Unicorns eventually reached 153/3 in 17.5 overs to seal a convincing seven-wicket win. Pretorius’ calm and authoritative innings earned him the Player of the Match award, capping off a performance in which the Unicorns excelled with both ball and bat to comfortably outplay Texas Super Kings.
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