Faf du Plessis selflessly retired out nine runs short of a third century in this year’s Major League Cricket as his Texas Super Kings side thrashed Seattle Orcas by 51 runs.
The veteran South African had hammered 84 off 43 deliveries, including six fours and four sixes, but suddenly started to struggle to find the boundary.
A sequence of seven runs off his next nine deliveries prompted Du Plessis to walk off at the end of the 19th over on 91 having seemingly run out of steam at the Broward County Stadium in Florida.
As it happened the Super Kings only managed another seven runs off the last six balls as they posted 188-4 with Shubham Ranjane unbeaten on 65 from 41 balls.
Seattle lost former Australia opener David Warner, bowled by Adam Milne for nine, early in their response as Kyle Mayers’ 35 off 28 balls gave them a platform of sorts.
However, a number of the Orcas’ middle failed to build on promising starts with Shimron Hetmyer (26 off 16 balls) unable to perform the kind of heroics which had propelled them to three wins in their last four matches.
Akeal Hosein, who removed the dangerous Hetmyer, and Noor Ahmad stifled the Seattle middle order with two wickets apiece.
Milne then returned to bowl the Orcas out for 137 in the 19th over as he claimed 5-23 – the Kiwi’s first five-wicket haul in MLC and his third overall in domestic T20 cricket.
Super Kings moved into top spot in the MLC standings on 14 points, level with Washington Freedom and San Francisco Unicorns but having played a game more.