Trent Boult starred with bat and ball as MI New York pulls off a thrilling victory to knock San Francisco Unicorns out

@Trent Boult plays a shot during the innings vs SFU in MLC2025

Context and Stakes:

The 2025 Eliminator, a high-stakes knockout game, between MI New York (MINY) and the San Francisco Unicorns, was played as part of the Major League Cricket (Major League Cricket) 2025 season schedule in Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas.

• Corey Anderson led the Unicorns in the first-half and was replaced by Matthew Short who led them in the second half, but still finished third having lost the previous matches after winning the first six matches of the tournament

• The team MINY with Nicholas Pooran at the helm entered the season gradually and gained momentum after that. Being reinforced with such stars as Trent Boult, Monank Patel, and Quinton de Kock, they were able to win the fourth place and advance to the Eliminator

The victor would qualify to Qualifier 2 with Texas Super Kings, to retain the chances to reach the final game

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Toss and Pitch:

After winning the toss, MINY put Captain River down to bat first and they were certain to win because the pitch was going to favor the bowlers in the initial stages. The weather was fairly standard Dallas summer, warm (28-32 oC), humid (60-70 percent), partly cloudy, and the risk of rain was low Unicorns Innings: Shaky Beginning & Tail struggle

San Francisco were shaken up very early 16/5 in the powerplay and left in ruins with maintained bowling of the MINY

• Xavier Bartlett came to the late rescue to hit 44 runs off 24 deliveries to offer some respectability

• The other touches: Brody Couch (19) and Cooper Connolly (23) contributed     to momentary strength

• Unicorns were then bundle out in 131 in 19.1 overs 

Important bowling statistics of MINY:

• Rushil Ugarkar: 3/19 over 3.1 overs

• Trent Boult: 2/19

• Nosthush Kenjige: who was backed by vital breakthroughs

On the part of the Hassan Khan, 4/30 he could manage to limit the MINY in the first innings during the reply

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MINY Chase: a rollercoaster finish:

MINY got off to a good start in pursuit of 132 as Quinton de Kock (33 runs off 24   balls) and Monank Patel (33 runs off 32 balls) contributed 43 runs to the     opening stand However when the pursuit had seemingly taken an easy course, SFU replied:

• Matthew Short, the captain, took three wickets (3/22) that caused a                    threatening collapse

• Hassan Khan cast a network, breaking 4 wickets and leaving MINY at 108/8 .

Now, only two wickets remained, exactly 26 runs were required off 24 balls, it was nail-biting stuff indeed

Heroics and Final Overs by Boult:

Enter Trent Boult, who is normally a bowling spearhead but is now a clutch finisherTogether with his team mate Nosthush Kenjige, he closed the deal:

• Boult hammered 22 runs, off 13 balls*, which included two sixes off                  successive balls of Hassan Khan in the 18th over, which  swung the                match

• Kenjige remained cool to make sure that the pursuit of the target crossed the    barrier of three balls to Spare a 2-wicket triumph

Final score: MINY 132/8 in 19.3 over won against SFU 131/10 in 19.1 over Man of the Match:

Trent Boult received the award of Player of the Match not only through his           statistics  of 2-19-ball but also because of his brave fighting with the bat in hand. His sixes proved decisive in the changing the momentum and helping his team win the close game.

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Analysis of Tactical & Momentum

Unicorns’ Strategy

• Bowling Strategies: Outstanding opening spells to lower MINY but           disappointed on the finishing.

• Batting Collapse: Top-Order Collapse despite the late innings run by                Bartlett.

MINY’s Response:

• Bowling Plan: Mixed pace and spin were successful and there were early        scalps achieved through Ugarkar and Boult.

• Shot Selection in Chase: the first stand best policy, but meltdown.

• Endgame Stress: Boult made it clear behind his brave innings, that MINY        has strength in depth & nerves

The Implications of this to Both Teams

• MI New York will play Qualifier 2 on July 12, to challenge Texas Super           KingsWith a win there it gets a place in the final against Washington             Freedom (July 13)

• San Francisco Unicorns bow out of the tournament. On the one hand,           they    had a fantastic start, but on the other hand, they failed in the                   opportune moment.

Broader Takeaways

U.S. Cricket Momentum:

• MLC has been dug deeper by star stacked teams (IPL, international stars)

• Exciting finishes of high-stakes knockouts can make cricket popular in the        United States

• The neutral-venue model developed by MLC (such as Dallas) is performing       even better, and the activity of fans is growing

 Bench Depth Matter:

• The fact that Boult is a low-order hitter proves the importance of having all         rounded players in T20.

• It can be that depth out of the top line-up that makes a tie-breaking                    difference  in good finishers.

Players Stats Dashboard

 Player                  Team                     Role                              Stats

Trent Boult          MI New York     Bowler/Batsman      2/19 (4 overs), 22* (13 balls)

Rushil Ugarkar    MI New York     Fast Bowler             3/19 (3.1 overs)

Nosthush Kenjige MI New York     All-rounder              Major contributor in chase

Monank Patel       MI New York    Wicketkeeper           33 off 32 (opening)

Quinton de Kock  MI New York     Opener                    33 of 24 (opening)

Matthew Short     SF Unicorns      Captain/bowler       3/22 (4 overs); bowled well

Hassan Khan      SF Unicorns       Spinner 4/30          (4 overs);  Pivotal spell

Xavier Bartlett     SF Unicorns       Lower-order bat      44 off 24 Conclusion:

The Eliminator of 10 July 2025 played out as advertised: dramatic twists, performances by the stars, strategic richness and unexpected heroism. Both those contributions by Boult were part of T20 with its unpredictable glamour. In the case of MI New York, the win provides a new boost as they look forward to the finals. In the case of San Francisco, there was disappointment but no humiliation; this game highlights the fact that in knockout cricket the margin can be as thin as a sheet of paper.

Brief Scores :

 San Francisco Innings: 131/10 (19.1 Overs) Xavier Bartlett 44 off 24 Balls ( 2   Fours  & 4 Sixes), Cooper Connolly 23 off 19 Balls (3 Fours).

MI New York Bowling:  Rushil Ugarkar 3/19 (3.1 Overs), Trent Boult 2/19 (4 Overs) 

MI New York innings: Quinton de Kock 33 off 24 Balls (4 Fours & 1 Six), Monank Patel 33 off 32 balls (2 Sixes).

San Francisco Unicorns Bowling: Hassan Khan 4/30 (4 Overs), Matthew Short 3/22 (4 Overs)

Player of the Match: Trent Boult 

 

Result: MI New York Won by 2 Wickets