Hetmyer's Last-Gasp Six Steals Record-Breaking MLC Chase for Seattle Orcas; Pollard Stunned

Shimron Hetmyer delivered a stunning performance, propelling the Seattle Orcas to a thrilling victory in the 2025 Major League Cricket (MLC) season. His spectacular last-ball six secured a dramatic three-wicket win against MI New York, marking the highest successful run chase in MLC history.

Shimron Hetmyer celebrates his match-winning six.

Facing a daunting target of 238, Hetmyer displayed remarkable composure, launching Kieron Pollard's final delivery over the boundary to clinch the victory.

Earlier in the match, MI New York had set a formidable score of 237/4, largely thanks to captain Nicholas Pooran's explosive innings. Pooran remained unbeaten with 108 runs off just 60 balls, hitting 7 fours and 8 sixes. He was well supported by Tajinder Dhillon, who contributed a blistering 95 off 35 deliveries.

Despite the onslaught, the Orcas managed to regain some control through Gerald Coetzee and Kyle Mayers, both taking two wickets each.

Seattle's chase began shakily, with Josh Brown and Shayan Jahangir falling early in the powerplay. However, Kyle Mayers (37 off 20) and captain Sikandar Raza (30 off 9) launched a counter-attack to revive the innings. Heinrich Klaasen then added a quickfire 26 off 13 balls before being dismissed by Rushil Ugarkar.

This set the stage for Hetmyer's heroic performance.

As the required run rate increased and wickets fell, Hetmyer shifted gears, smashing an unbeaten 97 off a mere 40 deliveries. His innings included 5 fours and 9 towering sixes, resulting in an extraordinary strike rate of 242.50.

In the tense final moments, with five runs needed for victory, Hetmyer seized the opportunity. Against Kieron Pollard, he expertly flicked the ball over fine leg for a game-winning six, triggering jubilant celebrations among the Seattle Orcas.

"This one is one of the best, because our backs were against the wall and I'm still grimacing over the last game where we couldn't cross the line," said Hetmyer, who was named Player of the Match.

"Today is one of those days, where I went with a clear mind and wanted to take the game as deep as possible. That (injury) actually gave me a little bit of help, because I didn't want to run much," he added.