Seattle, WA
MLC 2024: Short’s fifty, Plunkett’s blitz help San Francisco Unicorns clinch 23-run win over Seattle Orcas
Morrisville [US], : A remarkable half-century from Matthew Short, followed by a solid performance from the bowlers, helped the San Francisco Unicorns defeat the Seattle Orcas by 23 runs in the 13th match of Major League Cricket at Church Street Park, Morrisville.
After Short’s 32-ball 56 took San Francisco Unicorn to 165/7, Liam Plunkett’s Man of the Match performance of 3/26 with the ball restricted Seattle Orcas to 142/6 in the chase.
The victory was San Francisco Unicorn’s second of the season as Seattle Orcas suffered their third loss.
Openers Shehan Jayasuriya and Ryan Rickelton provided a flying start to the Seattle Orcas, as they amassed as many as 54 runs in the Powerplay. Jayasuriya hammered 18 runs, including three fours, in Haris Rauf’s first over, putting the Orcas in a strong position by the end of the first six overs.
Rickelton, who scored 29 off 21 balls, was dismissed by Plunkett in the ninth over, and Quinton de Kock fell cheaply to Short in the following over. Jayasuriya, on the other hand, brought up his half-century in 35 balls, but was dismissed by Pat Cummins in the 11th over.
The San Francisco Unicorns made a strong comeback with three wickets in three overs. They continued their momentum with back-to-back wickets in the 13th and 14th overs. Aaron Jones was caught and bowled by Plunkett, while Corey Anderson removed Heinrich Klaasen, leaving the Seattle Orcas struggling at 103/5, with 63 runs required in the final six overs.
Harmeet Singh and Hammad Azam then approached cautiously. They added 30 off 21, but the Unicorns struck again as Harmeet tried to slog on Plunket’s last ball of his spell. Rauf and Cummins then bowled an exceptional final two overs to ensure a clinical win for their team.
Earlier in the day, the San Francisco Unicorns were invited to bat first. They faced an early setback as Jake Fraser-McGurk was bowled by Imad Wasim in the third over. Matthew Short and Fin Allen then took control of the game, as they exploited a wicket that offered good bounce and pace. The duo scored more than 10 runs per over, constructing a commanding partnership of 75 runs off 40 balls.
Allen scored a fiery cameo of 34 off 18 balls before falling to Wasim in the 9th over. By the halfway mark, the Unicorns were cruising at 106/2 and looked set for a big total.
However, Short’s dismissal in the first ball of the 11th over swayed the momentum towards Seattle Orcas. The ball that had come on nicely in the first half of the innings, started behaving differently in the second, as Seattle Orcas made a comeback to contain the Unicorns, taking wickets in quick intervals. Corey Anderson was dismissed by Cameron Gannon in the 13th over, followed by Josh Inglis in the next over, by Harmeet Singh.
With the Unicorns struggling at 122/5 after 14 overs, Hassan Khan and Sanjay Krishnamurthi forged a crucial partnership, adding 31 runs off 27 balls to reach the 150-run mark in the 18th over. However, Khan was dismissed in the same over by Gannon, who finished his spell with impressive figures of 3/26. Meanwhile, Krishnamurthi played a vital cameo of 30 off 21 balls to help the San Francisco Unicorns post a total of 165/7 in their 20 overs.
Brief Scores: San Francisco Unicorns vs Seattle Orcas .
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Seattle, WA
Seattle fans pack waterfront hours early as USA defeats Australia, advances in World Cup
SEATTLE — Soccer fans descended on Seattle’s waterfront well before kickoff Friday, staking out their spots early to watch a highly anticipated World Cup matchup at Seattle Stadium between the United States and Australia. That patience paid off as Team USA won the match and now advances to the knockout round.
The atmosphere at Pier 62 was electric from the start, with fans lining up for prime viewing positions, whether down on the water’s edge or taking in the sweeping scene from the waterfront overlook above.
“I mean, look at all these people that are here hours beforehand to celebrate this incredible game,” said Paul Hanson, who was rooting for Team USA. “The hairs are going up on the arm.”
The energy was a draw in itself.
“The energy is amazing, everyone’s in a great mood, it’s just a lot of fun to be down here,” Maggie McNeil said.
Not everyone in the crowd was wearing red, white, and blue.
Lizzie Manning hails from Melbourne, Australia, and is now living in the Pacific Northwest.
Manning told KOMO News she hasn’t been back home in nearly a decade, but taking in the U.S.A-Australia match with the waterfront crowd gave her a taste of it.
“Whenever I see another Australian I’m like, ‘Aussie Aussie Aussie, oy oy oy,’” she said. “I feel so close to home. I need a meat pie, life’s good.”
“I’ve met so many people who are visiting from other countries,” Seattle resident Maddie Chaplain said. “I sat next to a couple yesterday who was eating dumplings for the first time from Argentina, that was so awesome.”
With Team USA advancing, fans like Aaron Olson say they’ll be back for more.
“USA’s gonna win it,” Olson said. “I will come down here every game. This is spectacular.”
The World Cup watch parties continue on Pier 62 throughout the tournament. They are free and open to the public with online registration, but capacity is limited.
Seattle News Weekly S1E44: FIFA Frenzy hits the PNW
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is off and running as Seattle prepares to host the United States vs. Australia match on Friday. With more matches to be played in the Emerald City after that, FOX 13’s David Rose, Dan Griffin and Austin Lane are taking a closer look at the biggest stories surrounding the international tournament. Dan is hearing from fans on Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s decision to turn on CCTV cameras during the World Cup, Austin is taking a deeper dive into why ties are a good thing in the group stage, and David revisits the lessons learned from the first match hosted in Seattle between Egypt and Belgium.
SEATTLE – The FIFA World Cup has taken Seattle by storm, bringing global excitement to our city and visitors from across the world.
On this week’s episode of the ‘Seattle News Weekly’ podcast, David Rose, Dan Griffin and Austin Lane discuss the top headlines of the week that have emerged alongside the buzz about the FIFA World Cup 2026.
A Massive Tournament Expansion
The hosts open the podcast with a discussion on how historically large this year’s FIFA World Cup is compared to years past. Expanded to 48 teams (up from 32), the tournament features a record 104 matches over 39 days across 16 host cities. Seattle is hosting six of those matches.
Austin explains the value of “ties” in the group stage—especially with the new format where 32 teams advance to the knockout stage instead of 16—meaning a single point from a tie carries significant weight.
At the time of recording, the US had already defeated Paraguay and is preparing to face Australia at “Seattle Stadium,” where a win would guarantee advancement.
Transit Tactics
Dan Griffin reports on the city’s transit system, noting that while the light rail is moving a massive influx of people smoothly, transit authorities are actively “throttling” passengers.
This practice involves controlling crowd flow onto platforms to ensure safety, which has caused wait times of over an hour for some fans on TikTok. Transit officials recommend that fans walk to stations slightly further away from the stadium district to get moving faster.
The CCTV Security Debate
The hosts talk about how security is a major focal point. The FBI has already had to confiscate drones being flown illegally downtown. More prominently, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson activated controversial closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the Stadium District following “general but credible threats” identified by law enforcement.
While an activist group called Community, Not Cameras expressed fears that the surveillance puts vulnerable populations at risk due to federal agency presence, visitors and fans interviewed largely welcomed the extra layer of security. The cameras are expected to be turned off after the World Cup concludes.
Cultural Celebrations and Fan Experiences
The hosts play a clip from reporter Lauren Donovan who provides a colorful look at the fan festivities happening in the city. She highlights the “March to the Match,” describing Monday morning where Belgian fans swarmed Victory Hall alongside middle school band directors from the Stanwood-Camano district who were recruited to drum for them.
She also joins celebrating Egyptian fans, whose match against Belgium ended in an enthusiastic tie. The hosts note that international fans (like those from Australia) are already flooding local attractions, including Seattle Mariners baseball games, turning the sporting event into a broader West Coast vacation.
Seattle News Weekly is a podcast that goes in depth and gives context to the stories that matter to the western Washington community. Check back every Thursday for a new episode on your favorite podcast platform, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Stitcher, Amazon Music, TuneIn and Audible or YouTube.
MORE WORLD CUP NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE
USA players want to lay off the ‘Layup’ chatter ahead of Australia matchup
How Seattle is preparing for USMNT vs. Australia World Cup match on Juneteenth
FIFA World Cup billboards in Seattle spark sexual health conversations
Seattle’s Ballard to host Pride celebration, FIFA watch party on June 26
Seattle reviews FIFA World Cup 2026 transit options after post-match congestion
Egypt’s World Cup pride, Mohamed Salah’s legacy and one fan’s love for the Pharaohs
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
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