The 2024 Major League Cricket (MLC) has gotten even more interesting with the qualification at stake. Match 16 of the ongoing competition will feature the defending champions MI New York (MINY) lock horns against the San Francisco Unicorns (SFU) at the Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas.
The MI side has played five matches and won just a single game. A rain-washed affair helped them gain three points and stand at the fifth position of the table. Meanwhile, the Unicorns are positioned third in the table with five points from four matches. They have three more matches to go and will look to strengthen their chance of finishing top two.
Ahead of the intensified clash, let us quickly hover through the head-to-head stats, pitch report, match prediction, and top players for this encounter. 
Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas Pitch Report
The venue is recognized for producing balanced pitches that benefit both batters and bowlers. The pacers usually get some early swing in the first three overs of the powerplay. The last game here saw one of the rare instances where a team batting first defended the score for the first time in a T20 game. With more matches played on the strips, the conditions will also likely suit the spinners.
Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas Pitch Stats
Total Matches: 5
Matches won batting first: 1
Matches won bowling first: 4
Average 1st innings total: 152
Average 2nd innings total: 135.2
Highest total recorded: 197/3 by USA vs CAN
Highest total recorded: 197/3 by USA vs CAN
Lowest total recorded: 106 by NEP vs NED
MINY vs SFU Head-to-Head
MI New York and San Francisco Unicorns have locked horns against one another in a solitary game and the latter emerged victorious by 23 runs in 2023.
MINY vs SFU Conditions-based Predictions
- The opening bowlers tend to swing with the new ball.
- Batting must be measured as the ball sticks to the surface.
- Spinners are likely to get more grip than previous games.
MINY vs SFU Top Players Predictions
Matt Short (SFU): The Australian star has been in top-notch form since the last couple of years. After stunning performance in the BBL editions, Short has been nothing short of a stellar all-rounder for the Unicorns. Amassing 147 runs in three innings, he is the fifth-highest run-getter of the tournament. He also picked up wickets with offies whenever required.
Rashid Khan (MINY): The wrist spinner can contribute with either the bat or the ball. He has scored 88 runs from four matches, including a quick half-century against the Texas Super Kings. Rashid also bagged a three-fer at the start of the season, with the wickets tally rising to 6 in four matches with a bowling average of 15.60.
Pat Cummins (SFU): The Australian ODI and Test captain had a glorious IPL outing with the Sunrisers Hyderabad recently. He played his first match in Unicorns’ latest match in Morrisville. However, the pacer is likely to be a part of the playing XI in the remaining matches and can have a crucial impact with the ball as well as the bat.
MINY vs SFU Hit or Miss Prediction
Nicholas Pooran (MINY): The southpaw was the primary reason for New York’s sole victory in the tournament thus far. His 37-ball 62* blitzkrieg helped the team chase down a 111-run objective. Pooran is MI’s leading run-getter in this mega-event, 111 runs from four innings. He averages 37 with the bat at a strike rate of 144.16.
MINY vs SFU Local Players to watch out for
- Ehsan Adil (MINY)
- Brody Couch (SFU)
- Corey Anderson (SFU)
MINY vs SFU Match Predictions
This one such venue where the wickets tend to fall a tad less when compared to Morrsiville. However, MI New York have a fragile batting order and hence the total wickets may surge up more than 13.5 (1.83) as per Parimatch. The New York side have faltered to pile up big totals in recent times and hence their ten over score may be under 78.5 (1.71). This may lead to Unicorns’ having a better powerplay (1.60)
MINY vs SFU Winner Predictions
The San Francisco Unicorns are a team high on momentum. Unlike their oppositions, they have been winning most of their matches. Hence, they stand as favourites against a struggling MI New York.
