San Francisco Unicorns vs MI New York Preview – Major League Cricket 2026 | Statz

4th July 2026

San Francisco Unicorns host MI New York at Fairgrounds Cricket Stadium in Pomona on 6 July for a Major League Cricket clash with playoff implications already forming. First ball is at 01:30 UTC.

Both sides sit level on 6 points from 5 matches, but the Unicorns hold the edge on net run rate at 0.489 versus MI New York’s 0.273. This is a straight shootout for positioning in the regular season. For full match data, head-to-head records and live projections, check the San Francisco Unicorns vs MI New York fixture page on Statz.

The Venue

Fairgrounds Cricket Stadium has hosted just 3 matches so far in the 2026 season, but the early data paints a picture of a ground that favours the bowlers. The average match total stands at 275 runs across those 3 matches, with an average first-innings score of 160. Seam bowlers have dominated, taking 82.5% of wickets at an economy of 7.39, while spinners have been more economical at 6.53 but account for just 12.5% of dismissals. The pitch is tagged as bowler-friendly by Statz.

Boundaries account for 55.5% of runs, with an average of 11 sixes and 21.7 fours per match. The ground has a home win percentage of 48%, suggesting no strong toss advantage. MI New York have visited once this season, winning comfortably – Quinton de Kock smashed 61 runs in that chase.

Form and Table

San Francisco Unicorns – 1st (P5 W3 L2, 6 pts)

The Unicorns have won their last two matches and sit top of the table on net run rate. Their recent form shows a team building momentum:

MI New York – 2nd (P5 W3 L2, 6 pts)

MI New York have also won their last match and sit just behind on net run rate. They too are building form at the right time:

Head-to-Head

San Francisco hold a commanding 4-1 record over MI New York in their last 5 meetings. The Unicorns have clearly got the measure of their opponents in this fixture. That said, MI New York’s most recent away win came against Seattle just 3 days ago, suggesting they can perform under pressure.

Statz Projections

The Statz projections favour San Francisco slightly, though this remains a tight contest.

If San Francisco bat first: Projected first-innings total of 171.4, match total of 329.8. Win probability – SFU 53.8%, MINY 44.2%. First-innings P10-P90 range: 145 to 197.

If MI New York bat first: Projected first-innings total of 167.4, match total of 325.8. Win probability – SFU 54.6%, MINY 43.4%. First-innings P10-P90 range: 138 to 195.

Both projected match totals (326-330) sit well above the venue average of 275, suggesting the Statz model expects a higher-scoring affair than recent Pomona cricket. The projected first-innings totals of around 169 are also above the venue average of 160.

Season Leaders

Major League Cricket – Top Run-Scorers

1. Mitchell Owen (Washington Freedom): 343 runs from 6 innings | 2. Lhuan-dre Pretorius (San Francisco): 297 runs from 5 innings | 3. Tim Seifert (Seattle): 275 runs from 7 innings

Major League Cricket – Top Wicket-Takers

1. Jasdeep Singh (Seattle): 14 wickets from 7 innings | 2. Ottneil Baartman (Seattle): 13 wickets from 7 innings | 3. Sunil Narine (Los Angeles): 11 wickets from 6 innings

San Francisco Season Leaders

Runs: Lhuan-dre Pretorius – 297 runs, avg 59.4, HS 87 | Matthew Short – 133 runs, avg 26.6, HS 34 | Finn Allen – 73 runs, avg 14.6, HS 45

Wickets: Brody Couch – 7 wickets, avg 1.4 | Matthew Short – 7 wickets, avg 1.4 | Ghulam Mudassar – 6 wickets, avg 1.2

MI New York Season Leaders

Runs: Nicholas Pooran – 171 runs, avg 34.2, HS 70 | Quinton de Kock – 141 runs, avg 28.2, HS 61 | Kieron Pollard – 119 runs, avg 23.8, HS 100

Wickets: Corbin Bosch – 9 wickets, avg 1.8 | Romario Shepherd – 6 wickets, avg 1.5 | Rushil Ugarkar – 6 wickets, avg 1.2

Predicted XIs

San Francisco Unicorns (based on most recent XI)

  1. Lhuan-dre Pretorius (wk)
  2. Finn Allen
  3. Matthew Short (c)
  4. Sanjay Krishnamurthi
  5. Aaron Hardie
  6. Hammad Azam
  7. Hassan Khan
  8. Xavier Bartlett
  9. Brody Couch
  10. Haris Rauf
  11. Ghulam Mudassar

MI New York (based on most recent XI)

  1. Quinton de Kock (wk)
  2. Monank Patel
  3. Nicholas Pooran (c)
  4. Kunwarjeet Singh
  5. Tajinder Singh
  6. Kieron Pollard
  7. Corbin Bosch
  8. Romario Shepherd
  9. Nosthush Kenjige
  10. Rushil Ugarkar
  11. Trent Boult

These lineups are based on the most recent matches for each team. Always check the fixture page on Statz for toss updates and confirmed XIs on match day.

Dream11 Tips – Captain and Vice Captain

Based on projected fantasy points:

Captain: Aaron Hardie (SFU) – projected 91.7 points. The all-rounder projects 25.6 runs at a strike rate of 141.1 plus 0.88 wickets. Hardie has been a consistent performer for the Unicorns and offers value across all three disciplines.

Vice Captain: Corbin Bosch (MINY) – projected 92.4 points. The all-rounder has taken 9 wickets this season and projects 1.62 wickets in this match. His economy of 8.76 and batting strike rate of 112.2 make him a dual threat.

Also consider:

Key Players

Lhuan-dre Pretorius (San Francisco)

The Unicorns’ wicketkeeper has been their standout performer this season with 297 runs at an average of 59.4. His consistency is remarkable – he has scored 20+ runs in 80% of his matches and 30+ runs in 80% of matches. His last three scores of 17, 87 and 66 show a player in devastating touch. Pretorius is the foundation of San Francisco’s batting order.

Nicholas Pooran (MI New York)

MI New York’s captain and primary run-scorer with 171 runs at 34.2 this season. Pooran has hit 20+ runs in 40% of his matches and 30+ runs in 40% of matches. His last three scores of 3, 70 and 19 show the explosive potential that makes him dangerous in the middle order. He is the key to MI New York’s batting depth.

Corbin Bosch (MI New York)

The all-rounder has been MI New York’s leading wicket-taker with 9 wickets from 5 matches at an average of 1.8 per game. Bosch has taken 1+ wicket in 80% of his matches and 2+ wickets in 40% of matches. His last three returns of 0, 3 and 1 wicket show he can be explosive with the ball. He also contributes with the bat, averaging 12.4 runs per match.

Matthew Short (San Francisco)

The Unicorns’ captain is a genuine all-rounder threat. Short has 133 runs at 26.6 this season plus 7 wickets at 1.4 per match. He has taken 1+ wicket in 100% of his matches and 2+ wickets in 40% of matches. His last three returns of 1, 2 and 1 wicket show consistent impact with the ball, while he scores 20+ runs in 80% of matches and 30+ runs in 60% of matches.

Conditions

Conditions at Pomona on 6 July are expected to be warm and clear with temperatures around 28 degrees Celsius. Humidity is moderate at around 45%. No rain is forecast. Light winds from the west at 6 km/h should have minimal impact on play. A good day for cricket with the bowler-friendly pitch likely to provide some assistance early before potentially easing as the match progresses.

Verdict and Betting Angles

San Francisco Unicorns are the slight favourites here, and the Statz projections back that view. The Unicorns’ 4-1 head-to-head record over MI New York is compelling, and they sit top of the table on net run rate. Their home advantage at Pomona is also significant – they have won their last two matches here.

However, MI New York are no pushovers. They have won their last match, their bowling attack is strong with Bosch and Trent Boult leading the charge, and they have the batting firepower to chase down any target. The projections give San Francisco a 54.2% win probability, which reflects a lean rather than a dominant advantage.

Indicative odds have San Francisco around 1.75 and MI New York around 2.05 across the major sportsbooks.

I am leaning San Francisco Unicorns here. The home advantage, the head-to-head record, and the superior net run rate all point to the Unicorns. Pretorius in form and Short’s all-round impact make them the more balanced unit. However, this is a tight contest and nothing is guaranteed.

Bet Builder Angles

Head to the Statz bet builder for real-time hit rates and odds on this fixture: