Shimron Hetmyer's Last-Ball Heroics Power Seattle Orcas to Record MLC Chase Against MI New York

Image credit: MLC

Shimron Hetmyer's explosive hitting propelled the Seattle Orcas to a thrilling victory in their opening match of the 2025 Major League Cricket (MLC) season. The Orcas secured a dramatic three-wicket win against MI New York, courtesy of a last-ball six. In a record-breaking chase, Seattle successfully pursued a daunting target of 238, marking the highest successful run chase in MLC history. Hetmyer's composure under pressure proved decisive as he launched Kieron Pollard over the boundary to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Earlier in the match, MI New York set a formidable target of 237/4, largely due to a magnificent unbeaten century from their captain, Nicholas Pooran. Pooran's blistering innings of 108 off just 60 balls included 7 fours and 8 sixes. He was well-supported by Tajinder Dhillon, who contributed a rapid 95 off only 35 deliveries.

Despite the onslaught from MI New York's batsmen, the Orcas managed to regain some control through the efforts of Gerald Coetzee and Kyle Mayers, each claiming two wickets to slow down the scoring.

Seattle's chase began poorly, with Josh Brown and Shayan Jahangir falling early in the powerplay. However, Kyle Mayers (37 off 20) and captain Sikandar Raza (30 off 9) counter-attacked with a flurry of boundaries to put the chase back on track. The momentum shifted again when Heinrich Klaasen added a quickfire 26 off 13 balls before being dismissed by Rushil Ugarkar.

This set the stage for Hetmyer's match-winning performance.

As the required run rate escalated and wickets fell, Hetmyer shifted gears, unleashing a barrage of boundaries. He remained unbeaten on 97 off just 40 balls, smashing 5 fours and 9 towering sixes, achieving a remarkable strike rate of 242.50.

In the tense final moments, with five runs needed for victory off the last ball, Hetmyer delivered. Facing MI New York's captain, Kieron Pollard, Hetmyer expertly flicked the ball over fine leg for a six, potentially the most significant of his T20 career. This sensational hit ignited celebrations within the Seattle camp.

"This one is one of the best, because our backs were against the wall and I'm still grimacing over the last game where we couldn't cross the line," said Hetmyer, who was named Player of the Match.

"Today is one of those days, where I went with a clear mind and wanted to take the game as deep as possible. That (injury) actually gave me a little bit of help, because I didn't want to run much," he added.