MLC 2026: Los Angeles Knight Riders beat Texas Super Kings to set up qualifier against San Francisco Unicorns | Cricket News
The Los Angeles Knight Riders defeated the Texas Super Kings by six wickets in the final league game of the season to advance into the Major League Baseball 2026 qualifying rounds and secure second place in the standings with three consecutive wins.a game by Colin Munro Matthew Tromp helped LAKR surpass the 172-run target with five balls remaining to set up a blockbuster qualifying match against the top-ranked San Francisco Unicorns on July 15. The Washington Liberty and MI New York will meet on the same day in the elimination round.After a mid-season setback, the Cavaliers found their groove at the perfect time, winning three straight and becoming a true title contender.Texas, meanwhile, had a disappointing end to the season, losing five straight and finishing last in the standings.
Munro, Tromp anchor clinical chase
Chasing 172 runs, LAKR got off to a positive start despite Andre Fletcher struggling with fluency. Fletcher made 26 off 30 balls and Munro dominated the opening session with a superb performance of 62 off 36 balls, with the duo scoring 87 runs between them, setting the perfect platform.Texas came back briefly and gave the team a glimmer of hope as they took three quick wickets, including Munro’s.However, Matthew Tropp once again showed his increasing maturity with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 58 off just 28 balls. Sherfane Powell provided valuable support before Jason Holder joined Tromp in finishing the chase calmly without any late drama.Tropp, who was named MVP, credited coaches Shane Watson and Dwayne Bravo for instilling confidence.“I’m just going out there and playing my natural game, and it’s paying off,” Tropp said. “We still have a long way to go. We still have two important playoff games. Hopefully we can win the first game and then the final and lift the trophy.”
Ranjane’s fifty is not enough to become a super king
Earlier, Shubham Ranjane had a solitary stand with an unbeaten 51 off 34 balls after Jason Holder elected to bowl first.Although Fife du PlessisRilee Rossouw and Dian Forrester all got off to bright starts, but no one converted them into substantial runs as Texas repeatedly lost wickets at crucial moments. Holder ended with an impressive figure of 3 for 33, restricting Super Kings to 171.Looking back on the defeat, Du Plessis admitted his team fell far short of a competitive overall finish.“On this wicket, you need to get above 180 to really feel ahead in the game. I think we are probably 20-30 runs short,” the skipper said.Du Plessis also pointed out that the team missed opportunities on the field during the game and was unable to seize key moments.“We were very consistent in the way we played but we kept losing these key moments in key moments. Three or four times we took the game to the last minute and unfortunately things went the other way,” he added.With strong momentum and clutch hitters peaking at the right time, the Knight Riders now head into the playoffs with confidence to compete against the ambitious Unicorns for their first MLC title.
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