3 minute read
Australia skipper Pat Cummins has joined the party at Major League Cricket as he features for a San Francisco Unicorns side well stacked with Baggy Greens stars.
Cummins has a number of fellow Aussies taking part in the 20-over competition in the United States, with Washington Freedom currently leading the way inspired by Steven Smith, Travis Head and Glenn Maxwell.
Freedom - 2.40 to secure the MLC title - have won all five of their completed fixtures, with a washout the only thing robbing them of a 100 per cent record, while Cummins features for a Unicorns outfit who lie second in the standings with three wins from five games.
Freedom march on thanks to Aussie batters
In the most recent fixture Washington saw off Texas Super Kings by 42 runs to maintain their unbeaten record, with Smith and Head both making half-centuries at the top of the order.
It's fair to say Head dominated the partnership as he was dismissed for 53, having added 59 for the first wicket with Smith, with Maxwell later smacking three sixes in his 34 and then taking three wickets with his off-spin.
Head (194) and Smith (191) have certainly been enjoying themselves with the bat, as they lie third and fourth respectively; in the runscorers' chart in MLC, with South African Faf du Plessis leading the way with 264 runs for Super Kings.
Du Plessis is one of two century-makers in MLC so far this season, with fellow South African Ryan Rickelton the other player to reach three figures, for Seattle Orcas.
Aussie pair back up Du Plessis
Playing alongside former Proteas skipper Du Plessis at Super Kings are Baggy Greens pair Marcus Stoinis and Aaron Hardie, with the former having made more of an impression with the ball than he has with the bat so far.
In fairness, neither player has excelled to date and both will want to deliver more for their side, with 6.00 Texas currently well-placed to ensure a top-four finish and a place in the play-offs - only two of the six teams miss out on the end-of-season finale.
Tim David has also yet to fire for reigning champions MI New York in his three appearances, while both Alex Carey and Adam Zampa have yet to feature for Los Angeles Knight Riders.
Left-arm quick Spencer Johnson has sparked for the 9.00 Knight Riders, however, taking eight wickets at 19.75 in his five games to date, although that wickets tally is one less than Maxwell has snapped up for Freedom.
Cummins adds to the Aussie mix
That leaves us with Unicorns, who have added Cummins to a roster which already features his fellow Aussies Matt Short, Josh Inglis and Jake Fraser-McGurk and who are 3.75 to be crowned champions.
Short has passed 50 twice in his four knocks so far this season in MLC, but neither Inglis nor Fraser-McGurk have made significant contributions to date, while Cummins has taken just one wicket across his two appearances.
He will want to help San Francisco make certain of a play-off place, with Unicorns having missed out during the inaugural MLC season last year, with New York eventually defeating Orcas by seven wickets in the final.
