Lhuan-dre Pretorius made a remarkable entrance onto the big stage with his first T20 century, leading the San Francisco Unicorns to a resounding nine-wicket victory over MI New York in Major League Cricket 2026 at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on Thursday. The talented young South African wicketkeeper-batter delivered a match-winning performance, steering a smooth chase and securing one of the Unicorns’ most significant wins of the season. His impressive innings not only clinched two vital points but also propelled San Francisco to the top of the standings after Match 23, while MI New York fell to third place.
Chasing 144 for victory, Pretorius stayed unbeaten on 102 from only 52 deliveries and completed his first T20 hundred in style. He struck 10 boundaries and cleared the ropes five times during an innings that never allowed MI New York back into the contest. The 20-year-old controlled the chase from start to finish and deservedly walked away with the Player of the Match award after guiding his side home with 26 balls remaining.
MI New York Stumble After Strong Start As San Francisco Secures Top Spot
Earlier, MI New York began brightly after being asked to bat first and raced to 50 inside the powerplay. However, wickets at regular intervals prevented them from building the platform needed for a bigger score. Ryan Rickelton led the early charge with 35 from 21 balls before San Francisco captain Matthew Short changed the momentum with the ball. By the halfway stage, MI New York were 70 for 3 with Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard trying to rebuild the innings. The pair added some stability but struggled to accelerate against disciplined bowling. Pollard managed 16 from 13 deliveries while Pooran scored 19 from 24 balls before both departed under pressure.
Sunny Patel provided some late resistance with 32 off 23 balls as MI New York crossed the 100-run mark in the 15th over. Even so, San Francisco continued to tighten their grip and eventually restricted their opponents to 143 for 9 in 20 overs. Short finished with figures of 3 for 24, while Aaron Hardie returned 2 for 17 and Haris Rauf picked up two wickets.
The chase quickly became the Pretorius show. He and Finn Allen added 52 for the opening wicket in just over six overs as San Francisco reached fifty in only 5.4 overs. Pretorius brought up his half-century from 30 balls and kept the scoring rate high despite losing Allen for 20. Supported by an unbeaten Matthew Short at the other end, he reached his century from 52 deliveries before sealing a commanding 146 for 1 and a nine-wicket victory.
