After a tough start to the 2025 Major League Cricket season, the Seattle Orcas have come roaring back to life. Another exceptional performance saw the team make it three consecutive high-pressure run-chase wins, and the Orcas are suddenly one of the hottest teams in the league—and firmly in the playoffs picture. Their latest triumph, a tense four-wicket win over the San Francisco Unicorns, showcased grit, nerve, and a team peaking at exactly the right time, especially against a top table team who appeared unbeatable until last weekend.

Skipper Sikandar Raza continued his incredible form at the toss—winning it for the third time in a row this season (8 in a row for the team) —and opted to bowl first on a slow, tricky surface. The move paid immediate dividends. Vice-captain Harmeet Singh struck in the opening over, removing Matt Short to set the tone.

San Francisco steadied the innings with a 49-run partnership between Finn Allen and Jake Fraser-McGurk, but Seattle’s rising star, Ayan Desai, broke through, dismissing the dangerous Allen. Raza then sent JFM packing with the help of a stunning catch by Steven Taylor on the boundary. The Unicorns fought back with a middle-order rebuild led by a watchful Tim Seifert and aggressive Sanjay Krishnamurthy, and assisted by some late fireworks from Romario Shepherd, took their total to a competitive 168.

In reply, the Seattle Orcas got off to a shaky start, slipping to 31/2 in the powerplay with early dismissals of Steven Taylor and Kyle Mayers. Shayan Jahangir held things together at one end briefly with a 27-ball 36, but the ninth over saw twin setbacks: Jahangir’s dismissal and Raza’s unfortunate run-out at the bowler’s end, leaving Seattle reeling at 56/4.

Enter Shimron Hetmyer. The left-hander took matters into his hands and delivered his third straight match-winning knock, blasting 78* off just 37 balls with trademark flair and firepower. Calm, composed, and devastatingly effective, Shimron anchored the chase to perfection, sealing our third dub on the row with three balls to spare.

From out of form to nearly unstoppable, the Seattle Orcas are now the team to watch. With momentum on their side and belief surging in the camp, they are the favorites to clinch the last playoff spot.