MI New York bounced back in style from the loss in the opening match as they recorded the biggest win in the opening week of the tournament on Sunday against Los Angeles Knight Riders in the inaugural season of Major League Cricket (MLC) in Texas.
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, MI New York put up a total of 155/8 on the board. David was the star batter again, top scoring with 48* off just 21 balls, with four crisply hit sixes.
In reply, Los Angeles Knight Riders were bundled out for just 50, the lowest total in the brief history of the tournament. All five of MI New York’s bowlers picked up a brace each, with USA star Nosthush Kenjige being the pick of the bowlers with two for seven off his three overs.
Kenjige described the experience of playing with the best players in the world in his home country as an ‘unreal experience’. Kenjige made his MI New York debut on Sunday and said the experience was doubly special because he got to play in front of his family as well as friends.
“When you have a captain who has played so many games and won trophies around the world, you just need to be ready. I just trusted whatever calls he made and focused on executing my plans,” Kenjige said while talking about the influence of captain Pollard.
MI New York will face Texas Super Kings and Washington Freedom in the upcoming week. They are currently second on the points table with two points after two matches.
Opener match vs San Francisco Unicorns
MI New York got their Major League Cricket campaign underway on Friday at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas vs San Francisco Unicorns. MI New York made a fine start and reduced the Unicorns to 50 for four before a big partnership saw them recover and score a total of 215 for 5.
In reply, MI New York put up a spirited display with Australian star Tim David scoring the team’s first ever 50. David top scored with 53 and received good support from captain Kieron Pollard, who contributed 48. MI New York ultimately fell short by 22 runs as they scored 193 for 5 in their 20 overs.
Speaking after the match, David said captain Pollard’s dismissal was the turning point. “We thought we could get that total right until Polly got out. It was tough for new batters to get going on that wicket. It’s a tough ask to score that many runs but Polly and I believed that if it’s two guys that can do it, it’s me and him. We just didn’t get over the line.”
Practice Session
Bringing the same brand of expressive cricket to a new continent, the MINY cohort began extensive training sessions at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas. Captain Kieron Pollard and his team exuded confidence as they simulated various match scenarios and also got to know their roles and responsibilities better. As the local USA and overseas players exchanged notes in their first meeting, the players looked comfortable learning and teaching each other the tricks of the game.
MI New York Jersey Launch
The inaugural MI New York jersey to be donned by our squad for the season was unveiled this week, before they played their inaugural Major League Cricket game against San Francisco Unicorns on July 15.
The designer of the jersey, Monisha Jaising commented, “The MI NY jersey has a peacock feather motif print in shades of blue, complimented with strong gold graphics representing the Art Deco architecture of NYC & incorporating the letters M & I in the graphics. The peacock, India’s national bird, is a symbol of good fortune and royalty, and New York City is the Art Deco capital of the world.”
