The Texas Super Kings secured a nine-wicket victory over MI New York in a highly anticipated MLC 2024 match, ending the defending champions' run in the tournament. Key performances from Marcus Stoinis, who took 2 for 18, and Faf du Plessis, who scored 72 off 47 balls, were instrumental in the win, alongside Devon Conway's 51 not out.
After being asked to bat, MI New York struggled early as Dewald Brevis was dismissed for a duck, caught at mid-wicket by Zia-ul-Haq off the bowling of Stoinis. Nicholas Pooran was also dismissed cheaply, caught at mid-on while attempting an aerial shot.
Monank Patel and Shayan Jahangir then steadied the innings with a 49-run partnership, but Jahangir was caught at long-off in the 11th over, bowled by Dwayne Bravo. Rashid Khan, promoted up the order, contributed significantly with 55 runs, hitting boundaries and sixes, including a six that Bravo caught but stepped on the boundary rope.
Bravo had to leave the field injured, and Aaron Hardie completed the over, conceding 19 runs. Rashid's aggressive play brought MI New York to 150 by the end of the 18th over. However, Stoinis bowled a tight penultimate over, dismissing Rashid and limiting MI New York to 163/8 in 20 overs.
In response, the Texas Super Kings faced early challenges but avoided run-outs. Faf du Plessis and Devon Conway initially struggled to find boundaries but eventually accelerated. Du Plessis hit a series of boundaries in the sixth over, and despite a close run-out call, he reached his fifty in the 10th over. The pair added 101 runs for the first wicket, with du Plessis eventually being dismissed for 72.
Conway, who found his rhythm later, hit crucial boundaries, including a six over long-on, as the Texas Super Kings chased down the target in 18.3 overs. Aaron Hardie contributed significantly in the final overs, scoring quickly and sealing the victory with nine balls to spare.
With this win, Texas Super Kings advance to face the loser of the Qualifier in the Challenger on July 26, while MI New York has been eliminated from the tournament.
Brief Scores:
MI New York 163/8 in 20 overs (Rashid Khan 55, Monank Patel 48; Marcus Stoinis 2-18, Aaron Hardie 2-22) lost to Texas Super Kings 167/1 in 18.3 overs (Faf du Plessis 72, Devon Conway 51; Nosthush Kenjige 1-24) by 9 wickets.