Seattle Orcas Ride Century to MLC Victory

Rickelton's Ton Puts Orcas on Top Against Knight Riders

Ryan Rickleton leads Seattle Orcas triumph over LA Knights /

The Seattle Orcas dominated the Los Angeles Knight Riders in a one-sided MLC 2024 clash on Wednesday, July 10th. Played at Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas, the Orcas chased down a target of 169 with nine wickets to spare, thanks in large part to a brilliant century (100 runs) from Ryan Rickelton.

Rickelton is a left-handed wicket-keeper batsman who plays for South Africa, he made his international debut for South Africa in March 2022 and represents Gauteng and MI Cape Town in domestic cricket.

Batting first, the Los Angeles Knight Riders laid down a solid foundation with a score of 168 for 5 wickets in their 20 overs. Opener Jason Roy anchored the innings with a composed 69 runs off 52 balls, showcasing his ability to build a strong total for his team.

The Seattle Orcas' chase got off to a flying start despite losing Nauman Anwar early to a fiery spell from Spencer Johnson (9 runs). By the sixth over, the scorecard read 51/1, with opener Rickelton leading the charge. He tore into the bowling attack, reaching his fifty in a mere 31 balls, peppering his innings with six boundaries and two sixes. In contrast, Quinton de Kock focused on rotating the strike, contributing only 13 runs as Rickelton shouldered the early scoring burden. By the 10th over, the Orcas were in a comfortable position at 81/1.

“Just happy to be out playing cricket and contribute. We have got some great guys here. I was panicking in the 90s and Quinny wasn't helping me. I think the pitch got a lot better, it was a bit sticky first. That's why we bowled first. [On his 100th run] It was a shocking run. I just had to run. I told Quinny we had to run no matter what. Luckily Sunny missed the stumps,” said the Player of the Match Ryan Rickelton.