AI Simulation, MLC final | Trent Boult spell helps MINY win second MLC title

‌‌Pitch and Weather

The surface at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas was a flat batting track where the ball was coming onto the bat very well. However, the track slowed down as the game progessed and the spinners started to get some grip and turn on the surface.

It was warm and dry conditions in Dallas with no threat of rain at all. The players enjoyed a full game of cricket without any interruption.

Toss

MI New York won the toss and elected to bat first.

Lineups

MINY XI: Quinton de Kock (wk), Monank Patel, Michael Bracewell, Nicholas Pooran (c), Kieron Pollard, Kunwarjeet Singh, Tajinder Dhillon, Tristan Luus, Trent Boult, Noshtush Kenjige, Rushil Ugarkar.

WF XI: Mitchell Owen, Rachin Ravindra, Andries Gous (wk), Glenn Phillips, Glenn Maxwell (c), Mukhtar Ahmed, Obus Pienaar, Jack Edwards, Ian Holland, Lockie Ferguson, Saurabh Netravalkar.

Match Report

MI New York skipper Nicholas Pooran won the toss and decided to bat first, hoping to take advantage of the good batting conditions at the start of the game. Openers Quinton de Kock and Monank Patel did exactly that. Although Patel was eventually dismissed after mistiming a bouncer off Lockie Ferguson in the fourth over, they were still in a great position at 64/1 after the powerplay. Though De Kock was striking the ball well in the middle overs, Michael Bracewell struggled to counter the spin of Glen Maxwell and Glenn Philips and was eventually dismissed after a dodgy 22 off 19 deliveries. MINY were suddenly struggling at 115/3 after 15 overs. Despite this struggling period, Pooran (38 off 21) and Kieron Pollard (36 off 18) with their powerful striking at the backend got them in a great position. Though the MINY skipper was later deceived by a slower delivery off Ian Holand, and Pollard was knocked over by an incredible yorker by Ferguson, the damage was done as they went on to score 63 runs in the last five overs to take them to a total of 178/6 at the end of the innings.

The chase did not start well for Washington Freedom as they lost an early wicket of Mitchell Owen by a lovely inswinger from Trent Boult in the third over. Despite the hiccup, Rachin Ravindra and Andries Gous put on a crucial partnership in the middle and were 91/1 halfway into the innings, needing 87 off the last 60 deliveries. However, some tight overs from Bracewell and Noshtush Kenjige not only tightened the screws on the batters but also resulted in a couple of wickets. The defending champions continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. Though Maxwell tried his best to keep the game alive, he was no match for the toe-crushing yorker by Boult and was dismissed for a score of 33 off 20 deliveries. The Kiwi pacer returned to bowl in the 19th over to dismiss Obus Pienaar by deceiving him with a slower knuckle ball, which went straight into the hands of Pollard at cover. Rushil Ugarkar was bowling the final over with 17 runs to defend. Though he was hit for a boundary off the first ball, he only gave three runs in the last five deliveries, which resulted in MINY winning the game by nine runs in the end.

Player of the Match

Kiwi pacer Trent Boult was the player of the match for his incredible spell of 3/29 while bowling during the crucial stages of the game.

Scorecard