Xavier Bartlett came in at No. 8 for the San Francisco Unicorns when the team was struggling at 108 for 6 in 12.2 overs, still trailing by 74 runs. Before this match, Bartlett had a modest T20 batting average of 14.10 and a strike rate of 108.50. However, he turned the game on its head with a stunning unbeaten 59 off just 25 balls, including four fours and five sixes, against a strong bowling lineup featuring Trent Boult, Naveen-ul-Haq, Michael Bracewell, and Ehsan Adil. This powerful innings helped the Unicorns snatch a thrilling three-wicket win, maintaining their perfect record of three wins in MLC 2025 and solidifying their lead at the top of the points table.
Bartlettβs late blitz seals the deal
Chasing 183, the Unicorns lost early wickets including Finn Allen in the second over, followed by Jake Fraser-McGurk and Sanjay Krishnamurthi shortly after. At the end of the powerplay, they were 42 for 4, with MI New York clearly in control and on course for their first win of the season.
But then Hassan Khan (43 off 17 balls) joined Tim Seifert in a 64-run partnership that revived the chase. Still, the match was finely balanced until Bartlettβs explosive cameo turned the tide.
π¨ππππ πππ πππππ, π©πππππππ ππππ , βπ° ππππ ππππππ ππ ππππ ππππππ πππ ππππ ππππππ β πππππππ, ππ ππππππ πππ ππ πππ πππππ.β
Earlier, MI New York had relied heavily on Quinton de Kockβs 63 off 38 balls and cameos from Kieron Pollard and Sunny Patel to set a competitive total. Pollardβs four sixes in a single over and Patelβs unbeaten 20 helped push the score to 182 for 7, but Bartlettβs late blitz ensured the Unicorns had the final say.
Also Read: Middlesex and Hampshire Play Out Thrilling Tie Despite Rain Drama
