Shimron Hetmyer continued his red-hot form in Major League Cricket 2025, smashing an unbeaten 78 off 37 balls to lead the Seattle Orcas to a thrilling four-wicket victory over the San Francisco Unicorns. Chasing 169, the Orcas found themselves in deep trouble at 56 for 4, but Hetmyer held his nerve and powered them home with three balls to spare. The win marked Seattle’s third consecutive victory, a stunning turnaround after five straight losses to start the season.
Unicorns Make Bright Start Before Orcas Fight Back
San Francisco, sent in to bat, made a promising start despite losing Matthew Short early to left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh. Jake Fraser-McGurk and Finn Allen added 49 off 31 balls, targeting Harmeet and showing aggression during the powerplay. However, Ayan Desai removed Allen in the sixth over, and Raza sent Fraser-McGurk back soon after. Sanjay Krishnamurthi provided the middle-order spark with a 41-run knock, which included two sixes off Waqar Salamkheil and two more against Raza. But the Orcas’ bowlers tightened the screws, conceding just 34 runs between overs 11 and 17. Romario Shepherd struck a couple of late sixes to push the Unicorns to 168 for 5—a total that looked competitive for most of the game.
Hetmyer Delivers Yet Again Under Pressure
Seattle’s chase began poorly as Bartlett removed both openers, Steven Taylor and Kyle Mayers. Shayan Jahangir and Sikandar Raza added 38, but their dismissals in consecutive balls left the Orcas reeling. Enter Hetmyer, who wasted no time—hammering two sixes in his first three balls. Despite losing partners, he kept attacking, reaching his fifty in just 23 deliveries. With 30 needed from the final three overs, Hetmyer unleashed a brutal assault—smashing Brody Couch and Bartlett before launching a monster 102-meter six off Romario Shepherd. He calmly finished the chase with a couple of runs, securing another last-over win for the Orcas.
Seattle now sits back in playoff contention, while the Unicorns suffer a second straight loss after a six-game winning streak.
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