Another chase goes awry as LAKR stumble against Orcas

Match Report: LAKR Stumble Again, Orcas Climb to Top

Oakland, June 28 – For the second straight evening, Los Angeles Knight Riders botched a chase, falling to Seattle Orcas by 20 runs in MLC 2026. After two wins, LAKR have now lost two on the trot, ceding second place on the table, while Orcas leapfrog to the top.

The chase of 154 was sluggish: at the 10-over mark, the rate was under 7; by the 15th, it had ballooned to nearly 12. Jason Holder later admitted the team hasn't adjusted to slow surfaces.

Colin Munro (33 off 36) and Andre Fletcher started cautiously, but Fletcher fell in the fifth over, followed by Unmukt Chand (golden duck) and Saif Badar in quick succession. LAKR went into a shell, reaching 81/4 by the 13th. With Andre Russell missing, Sunil Narine was pushed to six but fell early, and Rovman Powell followed soon after. LAKR's first six came only in the 17th over—Matthew Tromp and Holder's late blows were too little.

Earlier, Orcas were 16/3 after Fabian Allen (2-18) and Holder struck early, and Narine (2-17) took a wicket-maiden. Ali Sheikh (38) counterattacked with three sixes, but after he fell, Dasun Shanaka took over. He smashed a 21-ball fifty with five sixes and wristy drives, adding 32 runs in the final two overs to lift Orcas to 154/7.

Brief scores: Seattle Orcas 154/7 in 20 overs (Shanaka 58, Sheikh 38; Narine 2-17, Allen 2-18) beat LAKR 134/8 in 20 overs (Munro 33, Holder 21; Stoinis 3-28, Harmeet 2-20) by 20 runs.*