The Seattle Orcas have finally been able to crack the winning formula, thanks to a late resurgence of form, primarily driven by Shimron Hetmyer's exploits with the bat. Cricket experts had completely written them off when the Orcas suffered their fifth consecutive defeat and were almost nearing an early exit from the tournament. But the team saw a remarkable turn of fortune in their last three encounters, winning all three of them convincingly, with Hetmyer at the helm. 

The West Indian dynamite played a pivotal role in helping the Orcas orchestrate three back-to-back wins.  Hetmyer carried his team on his shoulders and smashed match-winning knocks of 97 (40), 64 (26), and 78* (37) to convincingly roll over MINY, LAKR, and SFU, respectively.  On the back of his match-winning contributions in three back-to-back fixtures, SEO now have an outside chance of leaving behind LAKR and MINY in the playoff race once and for all. 

See also: CBG vs AMW Dream11 Prediction Today Match 15 ST. Lucia T10 Blast

A look at Hetmyer's match-winning contributions this season

SEATTLE ORCAS WON 3RD CONSECUTIVE MATCH:

- 97* (40) with POTM award.
- 64* (26) with POTM award.
- 78* (37) with POTM award.

This is Shimron Hetmyer's contribution in those 3 games. 🥶 pic.twitter.com/roxxQMpWgZ

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 2, 2025

At a time when SEO were down and were starting at their sixth consecutive defeat, Hetmyer defied all odds and snatched an unbelievable win from MINY on the last ball of the match. In their pursuit of a massive target of 238, SEO kept losing wickets, but Hetmyer stayed resilient and did the bulk of the heavy lifting to keep his side alive. The game went down to the last ball when one big hit was needed from Hetmyer to seal the deal. Miraculously, he pulled it off by tonking Pollard over deep fine leg for a massive six, powering SEO to their highest run chase in the MLC. He remained unbeaten on 97 in that match. 

Moving on to the LAKR clash, Hetmyer once again came good when it mattered the most. SEO managed to prevail in yet another high-scoring thriller courtesy of Hetmyer's blazing 64* (26). Needing a target of 203, SEO got themselves into a bit of a tangle as Mayers struggled with timing towards the backend. The game went all the way down to the wire when five of six were needed. With Mayers struggling, the pressure crept up, and it seemed SEO would throw it away. But Hetmyer was able to bring himself on strike, and when he did, he wasted no time in finishing it off with a maximum to ensure no further hiccups. 

Hetmyer's stellar show continued for the third time in a row against the table-toppers SFU. Batting on a tricky surface, SEO did not get off to an ideal start and were already behind in the race too soon, thanks to the excessive consumption of dot balls at the start of the run chase. Just when it looked like all hope was lost, Hetmyer stood tall once more and, almost single-handedly, dragged his team across the finish line (with a little bit of luck, of course!). The Guyanese batter turned the tide in his team's favor by launching a barrage of boundaries and sixes. He finished with a mammoth contribution of 78* (37) and bagged the third POTM award in the process. 

Hetmyer has single-handedly revived his team's chances of making it to the playoffs on the back of three consecutive match-winning performances. He now has three POTM awards and would be eyeing his fourth award on the trot when SEO faces WF in their next encounter on July 5.

San Francisco Unicorns Stay Unbeaten with Dominant Win Over Seattle Orcas

In Match 16 of the Major League Cricket season 2025 , the Seattle Orcas played against San Francisco Unicorn. The Seattle Orcas won the toss and chose to bowl first, hoping to break the San Francisco Unicorns’ winning streak in this match. But it was the San Francisco Unicorns who once again stole the show and won the easy game, securing their sixth win and holding on to the top spot .

Batting first, the San Francisco Unicorns put up a solid total of 176 for 8 in their 20 overs. Romario Shepherd was in power-hitting mode, smashing 56 off just 31 balls. Skipper Matthew Short continued his fine form with a quickfire 52 off 29 deliveries, while Jake Fraser-McGurk added momentum with a handy 34 off 21.

Seattle’s bowlers did have their moments Harmeet Singh stood out with figures of 3 for 22, and Gerald Coetzee also impressed with 3 for 34. Cameron Gannon added one wicket to his name with a spell of 1 for 32.

Chasing 177, Seattle began well but couldn’t hold on under pressure. Shayan Jahangir top-scored with a quick 40 off 22 balls, while Shimron Hetmyer chipped in with 30 from 16 and David Warner made 23. However, no one stayed long enough to guide the chase.

San Francisco’s bowlers turned up the heat Haris Rauf led the way with 4 for 32, and captain Matthew Short surprised everyone with 3 for 12 in just 2 overs. Romario Shepherd capped off a brilliant all-round performance by picking 2 for 16 in his 3-over spell.

Seattle were bowled out for 144 in 18.2 overs, giving San Francisco a comprehensive 32-run victory and keeping their perfect season alive.

ALSO READ: "Shardul can start the bowling with Siraj" - former India captain's huge claim after ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test

Twitter reactions after SFU wins 16th match of  MLC 2025

🏏 The orcas do well to restrict SFU to 176-8. Run chase up next!

📺 Watch live and exclusive on https://t.co/ktQmbfqs7H#MLC | #SEOvSFU pic.twitter.com/HsEuR11poi

— Willow TV US (@willowtv) June 26, 2025

Great comeback this is from SFU.. Much appreciated lads !! 😍#MLC25#CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/FOnhvC2D41

— NEXSUN (@nexsunn) June 26, 2025

SanFrancisco form this season - W W W W W W !!

SFU are sure shot trophy contenders this season 🏆 !!#MLC2025 #MLC #SFU pic.twitter.com/FxRql1gc4Y

— TheXReplier (@ReplySensei) June 26, 2025

San Francisco Unicorns in #MLC2025 Playoffs. 6 Wins in a Row for @SFOUnicorns in #MLC2025. SFU won by 32 Runs. What a Performance Matt Short 52(29) & 3/12 and Romario Shepherd 56(31) & 2/16. Excellent spell H Rauf 4/32.@SFOUnicorns #SOvSFU @mattshort95 @DavidDejonge2

— JaayShaan (VaidhyaJayaShankar) (@JaayShaan) June 26, 2025

MLC 2025 SOR vs SFU Highlights | San Francisco Unicorns Won by 32 Runs

Read: https://t.co/fSA5YxhquP#MLC2025 #CricketNews

— Times of Sports (@timesofsports) June 26, 2025

Another win for SFU & they have qualified for the playoffs . Unbeaten till now , TSK has to compete with WF for the top 2 . #MLC25

— ★ 𝘖𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 ★ (@aravindmsd_07) June 26, 2025

SEO vs SFU Match Preview

Seattle Orcas will face the San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket 2025's 16th match at Grand Prairie Stadium. The Orcas are at the bottom of the table, having lost all four matches thus far, and require a desperate reversal in their campaign. The Unicorns, on the other hand, have had the polar opposite season, rising to the top of the standings after five consecutive victories.

SEO vs SFU Match Details 

Seattle Orcas vs San Francisco Unicorns – 16th Match, MLC 2025

Venue: Grand Prairie Stadium, Grand Prairie

Date & Time: 26th June 2025 at 05:30 AM IST

Live Streaming: FanCode

SEO vs SFU Venue Stats

SEO vs SFU Pitch Report

We anticipate a good batting surface that will also benefit the spinners. The Pacers will use a slower delivery time to keep the batters in check.

SEO vs SFU Weather Report

It will be a bright and sunny day in California, with a high of 27 degrees Celsius. The weather could impact the pitch, making it ideal for a T20 game.

SEO vs SFU Last Five Matches

SEO vs SFU Head-to-Head Stats

Injury News

No Injury. Will be added when there is an update.

Also Read: MLC 2025: SFU vs SFU Dream11 Prediction 03rd Match

SEO vs SFU Probable Playing XIs:

Seattle Orcas Probable Playing XIs

San Francisco Unicorns Probable Playing XIs

Shayan Jahangir (wk), David Warner, Aaron Jones, Kyle Mayers, Heinrich Klaasen (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Sikandar Raza, Harmeet Singh, Jasdeep Singh, Cameron Gannon, Gerald Coetzee

Topmost Picks for SEO vs SFU Dream11 Prediction:

Top Picks – Seattle Orcas

• Finn Allen – Finn Allen has been absolutely sensational, scoring 294 runs in just four innings with a strike rate of 247. 
• Haris Rauf –  Haris Rauf has led the charge with the ball, picking up 12 wickets at an economy rate of 9.33.

Top Picks – San Francisco Unicorns

• Kyle Mayers – Kyle Mayers has been one of the team's few bright spots with the bat, leading the way with 129 runs in four innings and a strike rate of 161.25.  
• Harmeet Singh –  Harmeet Singh has caused the most damage, taking 4 wickets in four matches and conceding at 8.50.

Suggested Playing XI N0.1 for SEO vs SFU Dream11 Team:

Andries Gous, Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Jones, David Warner, Mitchell Owen(C), Kyle Mayers(VC), Rachin Ravindra, Obus Pienaar, Sikandar Raza, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Saurabh Netravalkar

MLC 2025 Tournament 2025 SEO vs SFU Match Captain and Vice Captain choice for GL:

Captain – Mitchell Owen, Jack Edwards

Vice-captain – Kyle Mayers, Waqar Salamkheil

SEO vs SFU Probable Winners:

Seattle Orcas have lost four in a row, but there is still time to turn things around. Their batting lineup is star-studded but has yet to click. Furthermore, their bowlers have appeared toothless, and against an impressive and in-form team like the San Francisco Unicorns, they may struggle even more. For the Orcas to win, their star batters must put on a special show.  Considering the team combination, San Francisco Unicorns is expected to win this match.