SAN FRANCISCO UNICORNS CHASED DOWN BY LA KNIGHT RIDERS

San Francisco Unicorns, 150/7 (Lhuan-dre Pretorius, 58; Sunil Narine, 33/2) lost to LA Knight Riders, 154/3 (Colin Munro, 64*; Peter Siddle, 27/2) by 7 wickets

The San Francisco Unicorns fell to a narrow defeat with two balls remaining against the LA Knight Riders in their opening fixture of 2026 Major League Cricket, despite an impressive half-century on debut for Lhuan-dre Pretorius.

Following a rain delay that limited the second match of the season to 14 overs-a-side, the match got underway with the Unicorns put into bat by the Knight Riders under a gloomy, but clearing sky.

The new opening partnership for 2026 of debutant Lhuan-dre Pretorius and fan favourite Finn Allen got off to a steady start, trading singles in the first over, before the floodgates opened with the young South Africa’s first six off Sunil Narine in the second over.

Boundaries followed in quick succession against Andre Russell in the next, before Pretorius plundered two more maximums against Shadley van Schalkwyk to leave the Unicorns well placed on 47-0 after four overs.

Carmi Le Roux, now in Knight Riders colours after a stint in the Bay Area orange, restricted the flow of runs in the fifth over, but the momentum quickly returned with Allen smashing back-to-back sixes, followed by a four against Narine in the next, before the West Indies spinner got his first wicket, drawing a leading edge off Allen (24).

Captain Matt Short came to the crease to watch his new teammate Pretorius pass his half-century on debut from 25 balls, but the South African returned to the dugout soon after, edging Russell behind (58) to bring Sanjay Krishnamurthi to the wicket, with the Unicorns still on top at 92-2 with five overs remaining.

The Knight Riders then took back the initiative after a lucrative ninth, with Krishnamurthi edging to Unmukt Chand for 14. Hassan Khan then skied for three off Carmi Le Roux. The Australian talent and new signing Ollie Peake then fell for four on debut, and with captain Short run out for 30 and Haris Rauf bowled first ball, the Unicorns finished on 150-7 after Brody Couch cleared the rope late on.

Chasing 151 under lights, recent call-up Ghulam Mudassar took the new ball against Colin Munro and Andre Fletcher, with the experienced pair moving the score on early with 16 off the first over. 

Rauf followed, losing a tight LBW review against Munro that was given on-field, with Couch and Peter Siddle finishing up the shortened power play with no breakthrough and the Knight Riders 50 without loss. Captain Short then took the initiative, bringing himself on in the sixth over and snaring Fletcher, caught by Khan for 34, off the last ball of the over. 

The Unicorns pushed back through the middle overs, minimising the boundaries and forcing Munro and Rovman Powell into trading singles. The experienced Siddle then put the match back in the balance in the tenth over, leaking just two runs and taking the wicket of Powell for 17, but they returned the favour with interest, taking four boundaries off Rauf in the next, leaving 29 needed from 18 balls.

Munro continued to clear the ropes at regular occasions and with Jason Holder shifting himself up the order to plunder a quickfire 28 before being caught off a rising Siddle slower ball, the chase was put to bed with two balls to spare with Player of the Match Colin Munro smashing a four to end his innings on 64*.

The San Francisco Unicorns return to Grand Prairie Stadium tomorrow, 20 June, to play local side Texas Super Kings, while LA Knight Riders next face Seattle Orcas the following day.