Ryan Rickelton's Effort in Vain as Seattle Orcas Fall to Los Angeles Knight Riders

Ryan Rickelton's 89 off 52 balls wasn't enough to prevent the Seattle Orcas from suffering their fourth defeat in MLC 2024, losing to the Los Angeles Knight Riders by four wickets. Rickelton initially took time to settle on a challenging surface but broke free in the third over, hitting 19 runs off Spencer Johnson.

The fourth oversaw the Orcas losing Shehan Jayasuriya to a reverse scoop attempt, and Quinton de Kock ran out attempting a quick single. Rickelton then partnered with Heinrich Klaasen, smashing Waqar Salamkheil over deep mid-wicket and back over his head to push the Orcas to 70-2 after nine overs. Klaasen was run out at the non-striker's end after Rickelton's shot deflected to Narine.

Rickelton held his ground while runs remained scarce on the tacky Morrisville pitch. With only two other batsmen reaching double figures, the Orcas managed a modest 142-6 in their 20 overs. Andre Russell bowled economically for LAKR, delivering four overs without conceding a boundary.

Lungi Ngidi, brought in by the Orcas, struck in the third over, bowling out Sunil Narine. Unmukt Chand made an impactful entrance, hitting two leg-side deliveries from Harmeet Singh for four in the fourth over, and Jason Roy closed the over with another boundary.

Chand and Roy maintained the run rate, reaching 47-1 by the end of the power play. They continued to rotate the strike effectively and found boundaries regularly. Roy's attempt to dominate Harmeet ended with a top edge caught by Rickelton, and David Miller soon followed. Chand remained steady, bringing up his fifty with a pull shot over deep mid-wicket off Ali Sheikh, aiming to lead LAKR to victory. However, he was caught at long-on off Harmeet.

Despite this, Andre Russell and Saif Badar each hit a six to ensure LAKR secured their second win of the tournament.

Brief Scores

- Seattle Orcas: 142/6 in 20 overs (Ryan Rickelton 89, Heinrich Klaasen 23; Andre Russell 1-15, Sunil Narine 1-21)

- Los Angeles Knight Riders: 143/6 in 19.1 overs (Unmukt Chand 62, Jason Roy 27; Harmeet Singh 2-27, Cameron Gannon 2-35)