In a display of sheer power and audacity, Jake Fraser-McGurk turned the tide for the San Francisco Unicorns in a thrilling Major League Cricket (MLC) encounter against the Los Angeles Knight Riders. The young Australian batter, who had been in a prolonged slump, lit up the American cricket scene with a jaw-dropping knock of 88 runs off just 38 balls, including a staggering 11 sixes, guiding his team to a commanding 32-run victory and the top of the league standings.
The match began with the Unicorns opting to bat first after losing the toss. An early setback came with the dismissal of opener Tim Seifert in the second over, leaving the team reeling. Enter Fraser-McGurk, who joined hands with the in-form Finn Allen to stitch together a blistering 121-run partnership for the second wicket in just 10 overs. Allen played a supporting yet explosive role, smashing 52 off 27 balls with five fours and four sixes, before Fraser-McGurk took complete control of the proceedings.
Fraser-McGurk, who hadn’t scored more than nine runs in a T20 match since March 2025, unleashed his pent-up frustration on the Knight Riders’ bowlers. He raced to his fifty in a mere 21 balls, peppering the stands with six sixes and a solitary four. Not content with the milestone, he added another five sixes and a four in his next 16 balls, finishing with an astonishing 66 of his 88 runs coming from sixes alone—a whopping 75 percent of his total. His dismissal at 167-4, with over six overs still to play, denied him a chance to challenge Finn Allen’s recent MLC record of 151 not out, set just two days prior.
This breathtaking innings saw Fraser-McGurk etch his name into the history books. His tally of 11 sixes is the second-highest in a single MLC innings, only behind Allen’s record of 19, and stands as the highest by a non-opener in the competition’s history. Globally, this performance marks the 32nd instance in T20 cricket where a non-opener has hit 11 or more sixes in an innings. Furthermore, his score of 88 equals the record for the lowest individual total containing 11 sixes, matching Andre Russell’s unbeaten 88 off 36 balls for Kolkata Knight Riders against Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2018.
For Fraser-McGurk, this knock is a significant personal milestone, representing his second-highest T20 score after a 95 off 46 balls in the Big Bash League (BBL) earlier this year. It’s a timely reminder of the 23-year-old’s immense potential, especially after a lean patch following his much-hyped stint with Delhi Capitals in the IPL, where he struggled to replicate his domestic form.
Thanks to Fraser-McGurk’s heroics, the San Francisco Unicorns posted a daunting 219-8 in their 20 overs. The Los Angeles Knight Riders, despite a valiant effort, could only manage 187 in response, handing the Unicorns a decisive victory. This win not only boosted their net run rate but also cemented their position at the top of the MLC points table, making them early favorites in the tournament.
As Fraser-McGurk walked off the field to a standing ovation, one thing became abundantly clear: this was more than just a match-defining knock—it was a statement. With the MLC gaining traction in the cricketing world, performances like these are putting American cricket on the global map. Will Fraser-McGurk continue this destructive form, or was this a one-off spectacle? Only time will tell, but for now, the young Aussie has given fans plenty to cheer about.