Seattle Orcas vs MI New York, 18th Match - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

The past 4-5 months have been incredibly tough for Shimron Hetmyer. Plenty of opportunities, but had very little to show. For all the talent he has, fans were left disappointed time and again as Hetmyer failed to finish games, struggled with lack of timing and hence, shortage of confidence as well. As Hetmyer mentioned during the post-match interview, he does have a strong support system in his family and he couldn't have found a better time to repay the faith. Seattle Orcas lost their last 10 games in MLC and were in desperate need of a win. Hetmyer also needed that one desperate knock to silence his critics and he did that quite diligently despite nursing an injury. Stuff of champions they say. And on that note, we sign off for today. A double-header lined up for tomorrow. Do remember to join us for both those games. Cheers!!

Sikandar Raza: I have been in these positions quite a lot of times in my career. We had to come out punching and even if the result hadn't gone our way, I would have been proud of the way we batted. The management thought we had to make a few decisions and they made those decisions, we back one another to the wall and today is not just a battle of skills, but a battle of character as well. We said whatever happens we are gonna go hard from ball one and go all guns blazing. I'm very excited for the next few games. There is so much franchise cricket and so much skill on display these days, and with the introduction of T10 cricket as well, the batters are more fearless and the skill level is very high as well.

Shimron Hetmyer | Player of the Match: This one is one of the best, because our backs were against the wall and I'm still grimacing over the last game where we couldn't cross the line. Today is one of those days, where I went with a clear mind and wanted to take the game as deep as possible. That (injury) actually gave me a little bit of help, because I didn't want to run much.

Nicholas Pooran: I mean it's a tough one. Kudos to Hettie (Hetmyer), he played a brilliant innings but catches win matches. (Lack of execution from the bowlers?) It's just simple, you bowl to the big side as much as possible, you bowl into the wicket, execute the yorkers and bowl as wide as possible. In this day and age, to quality batsmen, if you keep bowling in the slot, you're going to get hit for sixes. We lack consistency. (So many close defeats this season) It's just one of those seasons. Winning and losing is contagious. Just need to get those two points which is most important. The batters are trying as much as possible, the bowlers are trying as well. If we can't execute as a group, then obviously we're going to pay the price. There's a lot of international players and local players and they are playing really well. Tajinder (Dhillon), the way he played today, it was a brilliant innings. You can't take anyone for granted. Bowling win matches and tournaments for you. To defend 238, we felt we were right in the game. We paid the price for poor bowling. (On his knock) Scoring runs and losing doesn't really make sense, it doesn't feel good at the end of the day. We need to get momentum somehow.

23:01 local, 09:31 IST: MI New York scored just 19 off the last 3 overs that included a no-ball and a wide as well. At the halfway stage, they might have hoped that it won't come back to haunt them, but it certainly did. And as if that wasn't enough, they dropped a few crucial catches which didn't help their cause. The Orcas approached this chase with a fearless attitude. Despite losing both openers cheaply, skipper Raza set the tone with a 9-ball 30 in the powerplay, and the experienced duo of Mayers and Klaasen did their bit by smashing timley boundaries to keep the required rate under control. Hetmyer was dropped on 22, and had suffered cramps a couple of overs later when he was on 38 off 15. It turned out to be a one-man show in the last 8 overs. Some clean ball striking combined with poor bowling as Hetmyer racked up his maiden MLC fifty in the process. With 32 needed off the last 2 overs, Hetmyer hit 3 crucial sixes off Ehsan Adil to bring the equation down to 9 off 6 balls. And a last-ball maximum was just the perfect icing on the cake...

Pollard to Hetmyer, SIX, Hetmyer has done it for the Orcas. That is a statement and half to break the 10-match losing streak. Pollard with his dibbly-dobbly action bowls a slower length delivery around leg, Hetmyer stayed low - got inside the line of the ball - and flick-whipped it over fine leg for perhaps his most-valued maximum in his T20 career. What a game! What an innings from Shimron Hetmyer! First win of the season for Seattle Orcas as they win by 3 wickets. This is also the highest successful run-chase in the history of MLC

6 needed off the last ball

Pollard to Hetmyer, 2 runs, slower length delivery dished wide of off, Hetmyer mistimes the slog to the left of Pooran at deep mid-wicket. A direct hit from Pooran but Hetmyer was well in...

Pollard to Hetmyer, no run, Hetmyer is livid. He is not happy one bit. Slower ball bouncer and goes over the pulling blade of Hetmyer. He was crouching slightly and was also a shade outside the crease. Might have been a fifty-fifty call? Hetmyer looks at the square leg umpire and yelps in frustration...

8 needed from 3

Pollard to Jessy Singh, 1 run, gets bat on this. A thick inside edge on the heave wide of cover for a quick single

Jessy Singh looks very frustrated and wants to walk off. Hetmyer has a word with him and Jasdeep is back on strike. It is just a matter of putting bat to ball, he might have said...

Pollard to Jessy Singh, no run, goes wide of the crease and bowls another slower delivery outside off, Jasdeep looks to slog and gets beaten due to lack of pace

Pollard to Jessy Singh, no run, slower back of a length delivery outside off, Jasdeep swings and misses

Kieron Pollard [1.0-0-15-0] is back into the attack

Just a couple of hits away now....Pollard to bowl the final over

Ehsan Adil to Hetmyer, SIX, too full and Hetmyer isn't gonna let that go scot-free. Stays a touch low and slaps it over wide long-off for the third six of the over

Ehsan Adil to Hetmyer, SIX, Ehsan Adil goes full and Shimron sends him over long-on. It was right in the middle of the slot on a fuller length and has been clubbed for an 83-metre maximum down the ground

Ehsan Adil to Jessy Singh, 1 run, good length on off, Jasdeep punches wide of cover and hares across for a quick single

Ehsan Adil to Jessy Singh, wide, slower length delivery sliding down the leg-side, Jasdeep Singh shoulders arms