Dasun Shanaka delivered one of the most spectacular finishes in Cognizant Major League Cricket history, claiming the first hat-trick of the tournament to help the Seattle Orcas fend off a low score and seal a thrilling nine-run victory over the Texas Super Kings. Defending just 121, the Orcas looked under heavy pressure as Texas entered the final in need of 15 runs. However, Shanaka produced an unforgettable spell under pressure, chasing four batsmen in four consecutive overs to seal victory for the visitors. Shubham Ranjane, the top scorer for Texas, started off with a boundary and a single, the equation reduced to 10 off the last four balls. Shanaka then took over. His first patient was Donovan Ferreira, whose stumps were broken by a well-disguised leg amputator. Calvin Savage followed soon after, fumbling another slow delivery towards Shimron Hetmyer at long-on. Adam Milne came in with Texas still needing 10 runs from two balls. Shanaka continued his form, and edged the back of the wicket to complete the hat-trick. The play is not over. Facing the last ball, Amshi de Silva attempted a great strike even though the game was out of reach. He mistimed a long-on shot, as Hetmyer completed the pull to give Shanaka his fourth wicket in four balls, completing the first hat-trick in Major League Cricket history and securing a memorable victory for Seattle. The limited encounter was dominated by the bowlers from the start. After electing to field first, Texas reduced the Orcas to 44/4 before another collapse left them struggling at 70/7 in the 13th over. Early wickets saw Tim Seifert, Matthew Breetzke and Shayan Jehangir dismissed during the Powerplay, while Marcus Stoinis‘ departure also damaged Seattle’s hopes of posting a championship. Harmeet Singh and Cameron Gannon boosted the innings with a valuable 31-run partnership before low-ball contributions, including Shanaka’s 16 runs, lifted the Orcas to 121/9. Texas got off to a good start Faf du Plessisbut the power quickly changed. Ottneil Baartman produced a successful spell, removing both Du Plessis and Saiteja Mukkamalla before returning to remove Wiaan Mulder during the wicket-maiden over. He finished with good figures of 3 for 9, while Adam Milne played the ball by scoring just 10 runs in his four overs and taking two wickets. Although Ranjane kept Texas in the contest and Ferreira’s late margin and six in the end to reduce the target to 15 from the last six games, Shanaka’s ability to play slow balls and cutters ensured the Orcas crossed the finish line. His stunning finish not only sealed victory for Seattle but also put his name in the Major League Cricket history books with a hat-trick record.
