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The MI New York will take on the San Francisco Unicorns in the 16th match of the ongoing Major League Cricket tournament at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, Texas, United States of America on Thursday, July 18.
Both teams know the importance of this occasion and will be keen on emerging on the right side at the end of the evening. The MI New York will be desperately hoping to get their second win on the board.
The Unicorns have fared only slightly better than their opponents, and have won just two games so far this season. They will be keen on boosting their hopes for a playoff spot with a win in this match.
In this piece, we pick a combined MI New York-San Francisco Unicorns' playing XI.
Top-order batters: Finn Allen, Steven Taylor and Jake Fraser-McGurk
The top order of this side will be filled by the likes of Finn Allen, Steven Taylor, and Jake Fraser-McGurk.
While Allen and Taylor will be expected to open the innings since theirs is a left-hand- right-hand partnership, young Fraser-McGurk will come in at No.3. The latter has impressed all and sundry with his hitting skills and ensured that bowlers have been tormented whenever they have erred from their desired areas.
All three of these batters are known to be good strikers of the cricket ball, and this is exactly what we need to utilize the fielding restrictions inside the powerplay.
Middle-order batters: Shayan Jahangir, Nicholas Pooran, and Corey Anderson
Shayan Jahangir will walk in at No.4, with Nicholas Pooran and Corey Anderson following him at five and six in the combined team.
Jahangir is a batter who knows how to rotate the strike well as well as hit the ball in the air when the team needs him to do so. Pooran and Anderson are on the side solely to hit the ball a long way and give their team a big push in the run-rate side of things when it seems down.
Both of these left-handers are known to attack their opponents in the lower middle order, and they will be critical in this team setting up a big total on the board or chasing one down.
Wicketkeeper and spinner: Monank Patel and Nosthush Kenjige
The wicketkeeping duties of this team will be handled by USA captain Monank Patel, while Nosthush Kenjige will be the sole spinner.
Patel has become renowned across the world owing to the way he led his country in the recently concluded ICC Men's T20 World Cup, while Kenjige was also a vital member of that squad. The latter is a handy addition to any team he plays for with his accurate left-arm spin, and the same will be the case here.
Patel is also a good batter, and although he likes to play in the top order, he will have to make do in the lower middle order in this team.
Pacers: Liam Plunkett, Pat Cummins and Trent Boult
Liam Plunkett, Pat Cummins, and Trent Boult will form the three-man pace battery of this team.
Cummins and Boult will be expected to run in with the new ball, while Plunkett - formerly of England and now of the USA - will be asked to bowl at one change. All three of these seamers are known to get the ball to swing and utilize the conditions of the pitch very well.
It will be quite exciting to see this trio run-in with the ball in their hand and terrify opposition batters with their exacting lines and lengths. These three will also be expected to pick up early wickets inside the powerplay.
