On and Off the Field: Major League Cricket Season 3

As I write this, we’re halfway through Season 3 of Major League Cricket (MLC), and what a journey it’s been so far. We’ve just wrapped up the San Francisco leg, held at the former Oakland A’s baseball stadium, a venue transformed remarkably for cricket thanks to Australian pitch and ground curator Damian Hoff. Damian did a stellar job transporting and installing two drop-in pitches all the way from New York. The stadium looked fantastic, and the players responded in kind, none more so than Finn Allen of the San Francisco Unicorns, who smashed over 150 in his debut innings there.

Off the field, San Francisco didn’t disappoint either. From exploring the historic Alcatraz (The Rock) to soaking up the sights and sounds of Pier 39, it’s been a memorable experience in every way.

We’ve now moved to Dallas, Texas, where the average daily temperature hovers around 35°C and yes, everything really is bigger in Texas, including the cowboy hat I now wear during the toss. After one match between the Texas Super Kings (led by Faf du Plessis) and Washington Freedom (captained by Glenn Maxwell), I found myself once again officiating a Texas game. Faf had lost six tosses in a row. Hoping to change his luck, he cheekily borrowed my cowboy hat and called “heads.” The coin came up tails. He handed the hat back in mock disgust and walked off, shaking his head.

As the competition heats up, the battle for the top spot is shaping up to be a showdown between two iconic coaches, Shane Watson’s San Francisco Unicorns and Ricky Ponting’s Washington Freedom. With the Texas leg concluding soon and Florida on the horizon for the final group stage, it’s anyone’s game.

Let’s see who rises to the top.