DALLAS, Texas, CMC – Former West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell hit a typically explosive 55, but he failed to inspire Los Angeles Knight Riders and the Texas Super Kings cruised to a 69-run win when the Major League Cricket tournament opened on Thursday in the United States.
Russell slammed seven fours and three sixes from 34 balls, but the Knight Riders’ chase of 181 ran out of steam after a dazzling spell of four for eight from three overs from leg-spinner Mohammad Mohsin in the inaugural match at the Grand Prairie Stadium.
LAKR were reeling on 64 for five at the end of the Power Play after former South Africa pacer Rusty Theron dismissed New Zealander Martin Guptill for a third-ball duck and South Africa international Rilee Rossouw for four in the first over of the chase.
Uncapped South African pacer Calvin Savage got Canada international Nitish Kumar caught at extra cover for a three-ball duck in the second over before South Africa international pacer Gerald Coetzee bowled United States opener Unmukt Chand for four in the fourth over.
Batting at six, Russell arrived and announed himself with two fours and a six off Coetzee also in the four over, and followed up with two fours and two sixes off Savage in the following over to propel Knight Riders past 50.
Coetzee bowled United States wicketkeeper-batsman Jaskaran Malhotra for 22 in the next over, but LAKR captain Sunil Narine, the former West Indies off-spinner, joined Russell, and they added 47 for the sixth wicket.
Mohsin turned the tide with his artful bowling after he was introduced for the 10th over, and Knight Riders lost their last five wickets – including Narine in the 12th over for 15 and Russell in the 13th over – for nine in the span of 18 balls.
“If you lose more than three wickets in the Power Play, you are on the back foot,” Narine said in the post-play TV interview. “It was tough. But in this format, you never know. If we had gotten a partnership anything could have happened – but it was not to be. We gave away 15 to 20 runs extra in the field, not to fault anyone, though.
On Russell, he said: “He has been doing it for so many years. Good sign that he is in good form. Hopefully, he can continue that way for the rest of the season.”
Earlier, South Africa international David Miller hit two fours and four sixes in the top score of 61 from 42 balls, and New Zealand international left-hander Devon Conway smashed 55 off 37 balls that included seven fours and one six, and TSK posted 181 for six from their allocation of 20 overs after LAKR won the toss and chose to field.
TSK were 45 for two at the end of the Power Play, but Miller, later named Player-of-the-Match, linked up with Conway and put on 77 for the third wicket to be the rocks upon which their side built their total.
The tournament continues on Friday when Mumbai Indians New York, led by former West Indies white ball captain Kieron Pollard and including his successor Nicholas Pooran, former Jamaica Scorpions wicketkeeper-batsman Steven Taylor, face San Francisco Unicorns in the opening match of a double header .
The second match features Seattle Orcas, which includes former Barbados Pride now United States batsman Aaron Jones, out-of-favour West Indies batsman Shimron Hetmyer, and discarded West Indies leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Jr, and Washington Freedom, a side that includes West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein.
