Sri Lankan fast bowler Dasun Shanaka pulled off a miraculous final-over heist in the Major League Cricket (MLC) tournament, snatching an improbable 9-run victory for the Seattle Orcas against the Texas Super Kings on Sunday.
Chasing a modest target of 122 runs, the Texas Super Kings looked firmly in the driver’s seat entering the final over at 107/5, with set batters Donovan Ferreira and Shubham Ranjane at the crease. With Texas needing 15 runs off the remaining six balls, Shanaka was handed the ball for the ultimate showdown.
The over started smoothly for Texas as Ranjane smashed Shanaka over point for a boundary on the very first delivery, followed by a single on the second ball, leaving the Super Kings needing 11 runs from 5 balls. However, what followed next completely turned the match on its head and etched Shanaka’s name into the history books.
On the third delivery, Shanaka produced a peach of a ball to clean bowl the dangerous Ferreira. He followed it up by dismissing Calvin Savage, who holed out to long-on on the fourth ball. With tension mounting, Shanaka completed a sensational hat-trick on the fifth ball, forcing Adam Milne into a big mistimed shot that landed safely into the gloves of the wicketkeeper.
The game was mathematically won, but Shanaka wasn’t done yet. On the final delivery of the match, he induced a false stroke from Amshi de Silva, who was brilliantly caught by Shimron Hetmyer. The stunning dismissal completed a legendary four wickets in four balls, sealing a dramatic 9-run win for the Seattle Orcas. This marks the first time in Major League Cricket history that a bowler has taken four consecutive wickets in four balls.
