The Seattle Orcas put in a fighting performance against MI New York in their season opener but lost by six wickets on Friday in Morrisville, NC.

After being put in to bat first, the Seattle Orcas had a tricky start in the Powerplay, losing three wickets, with the pitch in Church Street Park offering some purchase to the MI New York bowlers. Nauman Anwar and Quinton de Kock departed in quick succession, followed by Aaron Jones, who still showcased his class with a couple of elegant shots.

Nauman Anwar then stabilized the innings, playing an innings of 35 runs in only 31 deliveries. He hit two fours and two sixes in his knock, taking the attack to the opposition and keeping the scorecard ticking.

Harmeet Singh also contributed by playing a handy little cameo of 20 off 14. But MI New York kept striking at regular intervals, with spin wizard Rashid Khan being the pick of the bowlers. He registered figures of 3/22 in four overs, as the Orcas were bowled out for 108 in 19.1 overs.

Defending a low score, the Orcas needed a fiery start with the ball and Cameron Gannon delivered just that. In his first over, he picked up two crucial wickets, sending Ruben Clinton and Monank Patel back to the pavilion.

Nicholas Pooran would dig MI New York out of a potential hole by taking the counter-attacking route to get the scorecard racing. Seattle would again have a ray of hope as debutant Zaman Khan struck early into his spell, dismissing Shayan Jahangir, with Imad Wasim making no mistake while taking the catch.

Another debutant, Nandre Burger would scalp Tim David for 12. But Pooran helped MI NY over the finish line, staying unbeaten in a quality knock of 62 off only 37 deliveries.

The Orcas now start preparations for their next clash against the Los Angeles Knight Riders in Grand Prairie, Texas on July 9.

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