UNICORNS COME UP JUST SHORT AGAINST LA KNIGHT RIDERS IN PLAYOFF CLASSIC

San Francisco Unicorns, 180/4 (M Short, 94; S Krishnamurthi, 57) lost to Los Angeles Knight Riders, 187/3 (G Mudassar, 2/29; C Munro, 51), by seven runs.

The San Francisco Unicorn saw their bid for a direct berth in the 2026 Major League Cricket Championship fall just short on Wednesday afternoon, losing a thrilling Qualifier to the Los Angeles Knight Riders by seven runs at the Oakland Coliseum. 

After electing to bowl first, the Unicorns were set a target of 188 before mounting a remarkable comeback from 3/2, only to finish on 180/4 despite a record-breaking partnership between captain Matthew Short and Sanjay Krishnamurthi.

The Unicorns made an early breakthrough when captain Matt Short removed Andre Fletcher in the second over, but Los Angeles quickly recovered behind a composed partnership between Colin Munro and Andre Russell. Munro anchored the innings with 51 while Russell settled into his rhythm, steadily shifting the momentum back toward the Knight Riders as the pair combined for a 108-run stand through the middle overs.

San Francisco briefly wrestled back control when Ghulam Mudassar bowled Munro in the 15th over before later dismissing Matthew Tromp, while Hassan Khan and Brody Couch delivered disciplined spells to keep the scoring in check. Despite limiting boundaries for much of the middle overs, the Unicorns were unable to find the consistent breakthroughs needed to halt Los Angeles’ late charge.

That charge came from Rovman Powell, who produced one of the most explosive finishes in Major League Cricket history. Powell blasted an unbeaten 50 off just 15 balls, the fastest half-century in MLC history, hammering six sixes and two fours, including four consecutive maximums in the penultimate over, to propel the Knight Riders to 187/3.

Despite losing Lhuan-dre Pretorius to the opening ball and Finn Allen three deliveries later, the Unicorns quickly regrouped after slipping to 3/2. Short and Krishnamurthi steadied the innings with remarkable composure, counterattacking through the powerplay before gradually taking control of the chase with smart shot selection and aggressive running between the wickets.

The pair erased the early deficit with a record-setting partnership that rewrote the Unicorns’ history books. Krishnamurthi struck a half-century while Short reached his fifty in just 33 balls and surpassed 1,000 career Major League Cricket runs. Their 161-run stand became the highest scoring partnership in San Francisco Unicorns history and just the fourth 150-plus partnership in league history, putting the Unicorns firmly back in contention entering the final overs.

Needing 18 runs from the final set, the Unicorns continued to battle until the final ball. Aaron Hardie fell attempting to clear the ropes before Hassan Khan reignited hopes with a towering six. Short finished unbeaten on a brilliant 94 from 61 balls, but needing a boundary off the final delivery to extend the contest, his drive toward long-on was cut off by Powell at the boundary as Los Angeles held on for a seven-run victory, ending one of the tournament’s most dramatic matches.

The Unicorns will now turn their attention to the Challenger on Thursday, where they will face Washington Freedom, the winner of Wednesday night’s Eliminator game. With a place in the 2026 Major League Cricket Championship on the line, San Francisco will look to bounce back quickly and earn one more opportunity to compete for the Championship.