By Tim Douglas 
San Francisco Unicorns confirmed their playoff berth in the 2025 Major League Cricket with a commanding 32-run win over the struggling Seattle Orcas at Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas.
In a match that swung both ways, it was Romario Shepherd’s explosive late cameo, Matthew Short’s consistency, and Haris Rauf’s pace carnage that led the Unicorns to victory and cemented their place in the top four.
Batting first, San Francisco got an early jolt as Gerald Coetzee struck in the Powerplay, removing the dangerous Finn Allen. But Matthew Short continued his red-hot form, notching up his third consecutive fifty, supported by a fluent knock from Jake Fraser-McGurk.
Their efforts were stifled when Harmeet Singh turned the tide with a clever spell, removing Fraser-McGurk, Short, and Hassan Khan to peg the Unicorns back. Coetzee chipped in with three as well, reducing the Unicorns to 103/6 by the 13th over.
Just when it looked like Seattle had gained full control, Romario Shepherd unleashed chaos, blasting four sixes off fellow West Indian Obed McCoy in a brutal assault. His 56-run blitzkrieg off just 27 balls lifted the Unicorns to a competitive 176/8.
In reply, Seattle got off to a flying start thanks to Shayan Jahangir’s aggressive 40, but his dismissal by Shepherd triggered a domino effect. From 66/1, the Orcas crumbled to 73/4, with David Warner’s lean form continuing as he fell cheaply once again.
A promising partnership between Shimron Hetmyer and Sujit Nayak threatened to revive the chase, but Matthew Short’s golden arm struck at the perfect time, removing both and extinguishing Seattle’s hopes.
The final nail was hammered in by Haris Rauf, who delivered a fiery spell to finish with 4/32, maintaining his spot as the tournament’s top wicket-taker. Seattle folded for 144, well short of the target.
Romario Shepherd, for his late-inning heroics and two wickets, was named Player of the Match, underlining his all-round value.
The Unicorns, now safely in the playoffs, will look to fine-tune their winning formula against Washington Freedom on Saturday. The Orcas, winless and under pressure, face a must-win scenario against MI New York on Friday.
Match Summary:
San Francisco Unicorns – 176/8 (Shepherd 56, Short 52, Fraser-McGurk 34; Harmeet Singh 3/22, Coetzee 3/34)
Seattle Orcas – 144 all out (Jahangir 40, Hetmyer 30; Rauf 4/32, Short 3/12, Shepherd 2/16)
Result: San Francisco Unicorns won by 32 runs.
Anas Ahmed