South Africa-born pacer Carmi le Roux faced a nasty blow during a Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 match between the San Francisco Unicorns and the Seattle Orcas. The game took place on Wednesday, July 17th, at Church Street Park in Morrisville, North Carolina.
The incident occurred during the fourth ball of the second over, with Carmi le Roux bowling to Ryan Rickelton. Le Roux was in fine form, delivering precise lines and lengths that restricted the batters during their chase of 166 runs. However, when le Roux bowled a full delivery outside off, Rickelton drove it straight back at him. The ball struck le Roux in the face with great force, giving him no time to react. The impact left him on the ground in visible pain.
Unable to continue, Carmi le Roux left the field, clearly in significant discomfort. Skipper Corey Anderson took over to complete the over. Le Roux did not return to the game, having bowled only 1.4 overs and conceded 11 runs. Despite his absence, the San Francisco Unicorns’ bowlers performed admirably, preventing the Seattle Orcas’ batters from settling. They took wickets consistently and ultimately secured the victory.
Liam Plunkett was the standout bowler for the Unicorns, finishing with figures of 3/26. Matthew Short, Corey Anderson, and Pat Cummins each claimed one wicket, collectively restricting the Orcas to 142/6. The Unicorns won the match by 23 runs, earning two crucial points.
For the Seattle Orcas, Shehan Jayasuriya was the only batter who appeared comfortable at the crease, scoring 54 runs off 37 balls with a strike rate exceeding 145. His innings included seven fours and two sixes. Ryan Rickelton contributed 29 runs, but the rest of the batting lineup struggled, with no other player surpassing 16 runs.
A private news outlet reported the details of the match, highlighting the significant moments and performances from both teams.
