Stage set for Major League Cricket final between Seattle Orcas and MI New York
Jul 30, 2023
Dallas [Texas], July 30 : Grand Prairie Stadium will welcome cricket enthusiasts and fans from across the nation Sunday for the inaugural Major League Cricket (MLC) Championship Final. The Seattle Orcas and MI New York will battle to claim the MLC title and make American cricket history on a day that will feature a spectacle on- and off the field for fans to enjoy.
The championship match will also have Nita Ambani, Team Owner of MI New York and Satya Nadella, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft and Co-Owner of the Seattle Orcas, in attendance.
The historic match at Grand Prairie Stadium is sold-out and will be followed worldwide by millions of fans of the world’s second most popular sport. The match-up will feature two teams stacked with the world’s best cricketers and America’s strongest domestic talent, led by Seattle Orcas captain Wayne Parnell and MI New York captain Nicholas Pooran.
The Seattle Orcas secured their spot in the championship match after winning the 'Qualifier' match Thursday evening, having finished top of the round-robin group stage with four victories and only one defeat. Seattle’s superb batting performances included notable knocks by Heinrich Klaasen, Quinton de Kock and Nauman Anwar.
MI New York advanced to the championship match after battling through both the 'Eliminator' match (defeating Washington Freedom) and the “Challenger” match (defeating Texas Super Kings) to claim their spot in the historic occasion, with Trent Boult the stand-out star for New York with the ball.
"Tomorrow will be one tough game," said Wayne Parnell, Captain of the Seattle Orcas as quoted by an MLC press release.
"We have to lock up and start again. It is about which team can soak up pressure the best and play really good cricket. That team is going to win. For us it is about locking up tomorrow and being ready to win," he added.
Nicholas Pooran, the MI New York skipper also said that his team is ready.
"For the last four games, we have prepared our minds and bodies and we have been prepared for the finals for a week. Tomorrow is a big game and we as a group are ready," said Pooran.
The first ball for the championship match will be delivered by Satya Nadella, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft and Co-Owner of the Seattle Orcas.
“We are delighted to have Orcas co-owner Satya Nadella here in Texas tonight alongside all of our ownership group supporting Seattle in the first-ever Major League Cricket Championship Final," said Soma Somasegar, co-owner, Seattle Orcas.
"It has been an incredible journey for our Seattle Orcas “pod” in this inaugural Major League Cricket season. We are thrilled to be competing in this historic occasion and the Orcas team will leave it all out on the field to win the trophy for Seattle," she added.
In attendance at Grand Prairie Stadium supporting MI New York will be Team Owner Nita Ambani, the Founder and Chairperson of the Reliance Foundation and owner of Mumbai Indians, one of the biggest cricket clubs in the world.
"This season has been a great opportunity to help develop cricket in the USA and showcase the MI brand of cricket in a new geography," said an MI New York spokesperson.
