With a handy total of only 127 needed for a win, openers Faf du Plessis and Devon Conway got off the blocks quickly, setting the tone for the innings. Faf was not as aggressive as he was on the way to his century in the previous game against Washington Freedom but played second fiddle to his New Zealand partner’s power-hitting.
Eventually scoring 34 off 17, du Plessis gave away a simple catch, but by then more than half of the total was chased down. Conway took a blow to his fingers and was forced to retire hurt after scoring 32 off 19, but Aaron Hardie took the game on his shoulders thereafter. His 34 off 23 balls effectively helped his team reach the target despite Hassan Khan’s efforts.
Earlier in the day, the San Francisco Unicorns found themselves in a bind on what was a slightly slow pitch. Their powerplay was strong, having scored 74 runs, but they also lost three wickets, losing their momentum because of this.
After Finn Allen (10) and Jake Fraser-McGurk (11) were sent back to the pavilion courtesy of some brilliant bowling by Zia Ul-Haq, Matt Short continued the ante with a fighting 33. His wicket in the 6th over was a big blow, as the rest of the batting lineup faltered under the disciplined bowling of the Super Kings.
Mohammad Mohsin was the standout performer with the ball for the Super Kings, delivering a stellar spell that yielded figures of 4/13. His consistent line and length, coupled with his ability to extract some purchase from the pitch, made life difficult for the Unicorns’ batters.
Brief Scores: Texas Super Kings (Devon Conway 32, Aaron Hardie 34, Hassan Khan 2/16) beat San Francisco Unicorns (Matthew Short 33, Mohammad Mohsin 4/13).
