Kieron Pollard, Tajinder Dhillon script stunning comeback as MI New York stun Seattle Orcas

Kieron Pollard (X-Cricbuzz) MI New York produced a remarkable turnaround to beat Seattle Orcas by 17 runs in Major League Cricket (MLC) 2026, dealing a major blow to the Orcas’ playoff hopes after fending off what looked like a vulnerable unit. Seattle appeared to be cruising in pursuit of 180 and reached 137 for 1 after 15 overs with Tim Seifert and Matthew Breetzke in complete control. The pair had already added a hundred and only 43 runs were needed from the last five overs. However, the chase unraveled dramatically as MI New York struck at regular intervals. The Orcas lost five wickets during the closing stages and managed just two boundaries in the last two overs, allowing New York to grab an unlikely victory. Kieron Pollard triggered the collapse by bowling Breetzke slower. The veteran celebrated with his signature ‘finger to the brain’ gesture before promptly leaving the pitch after appearing to injure his shoulder. Despite the scare, Pollard came back later in the innings and made another vital contribution by taking a catch to dismiss fellow West Indian Shimron Hetmyer, who tried to bowl Rushil Ugarkar after a quiet 17th over. Although Seattle had the ever-dangerous Seifert at the crease and the New Zealand batsman even survived a dropped chance in the 18th over, MI New York kept their cool. Romario Shepherd then turned the match decisively in favor of New York. He first bowled a brilliant yorker to remove Marcus Stoinis and then caught Seifert behind in the penultimate over, conceding only three runs. With Seattle needing 22 runs from the final over, Pollard sealed the contest to seal an unlikely win for MI New York. Earlier, the New York exchange made a superb recovery from the collapse of the top order. Reduced to 73 for 5 in the 12th over, they looked destined for a sub-par score before Pollard and Tajinder Dhillon turned the innings around with a match-defining partnership. The damage was mainly caused by Seattle captain Marcus Stoinis, who claimed the first five wickets of his T20 career. He removed Ryan Rickelton early, dismissed Monanko Patel with a slower knife after Shakib Al Hasan fell for 15, and continued to make expert use of the conditions on the Dallas surface. Ottneil Baartman also came through thanks to the bowling of Nicholas Pooran, whose difficult season continued. Pollard and Dhillon then mounted a stunning recovery to add 80 runs in less than seven overs. There were seven sixes and 13 fours in their counter-attack as they punished everything that was lost. Dhillon, who benefited from two dropped catches in the 17th and 18th overs, reached his half-century from just 22 deliveries while reading the slower balls effectively. Stoinis made a late comeback to dismiss Pollard, Shepherd and Trent Bouult in the space of five balls, but Dhillon ensured MI New York finished strong by 20 runs off Dasun Shanaka in the final over. Those late runs ultimately proved decisive. Remaining unbeaten on 66, Dhillon scored his first fifty of the season and was named man of the match. After the match, he dedicated the award to his brother, who was also his first cricket coach and died in January. The win moved MI New York into second place in the table, while Seattle Orcas now need to win their final league game to keep their playoff hopes alive. Brief scores: MI New York 179/8 in 20 overs (Tajinder Dhillon 66*, Kieron Pollard 54; Marcus Stoinis 5-46, Ottneil Baartman 2-18) beat Seattle Orcas 162/6 in 20 overs (Tim Seifert 88-49, Matthew Roma Breetzke); Ovčák (2-13) by 17 runs.