Shimron Hetmyer delivered a breathtaking performance to guide the Seattle Orcas to their first win of the Major League Cricket 2025 season in dramatic fashion at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on Saturday.
In a high-scoring thriller against MI New York, Hetmyer remained unbeaten on 97 off just 40 balls and sealed the victory with a last-ball six, helping his side win by three wickets.
Batting first, MI New York posted a mammoth 237/4, thanks to a stunning century by skipper Nicholas Pooran, who smashed 108 off 60 balls. He shared a sensational 158-run stand with Tajinder Singh, who played a destructive knock of 95 from just 35 deliveries. Their partnership put the Orcas under immense pressure as they were tasked with chasing down the highest total in MLC history.
Despite the daunting target, the Orcas remained in the hunt, largely due to Hetmyer’s fireworks in the final overs. With 32 needed off the last two overs, Hetmyer went after Ehsan Adil in the 19th, smashing three sixes to collect 23 runs.
The final over, bowled by Kieron Pollard, brought the tension back as he gave away only three runs in the first three balls, leaving six needed off the final delivery.
With the game hanging by a thread, Hetmyer faced the last ball with nerves of steel. Pollard attempted a short delivery on leg stump, but the left-hander anticipated it perfectly, going down on one knee and launching a massive six over deep square leg. As the ball sailed into the stands, Seattle players rushed onto the field to celebrate their hard-fought win.
More crazy final ball scenes in the MLC! 🤯
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) June 28, 2025
There was six needed off the last ball for Shimron Hetmyer and Seattle to complete a successful chase of 238.
Kieron Pollard running in to bowl… pic.twitter.com/AkdeD1IK0l
Jasdeep Singh, at the non-striker’s end, ran to lift Hetmyer in joy while the rest of the team mobbed the star batter in celebration. The MI New York camp was left stunned, watching their massive total go in vain.
The win marked a crucial turning point for the Seattle Orcas as they finally ended their five-match losing streak and earned their first points of the season, thanks to Hetmyer’s heroic knock.