The Unicorns have won five in a row. ©MLC
The pre and post game tunnel walk rituals in the NBA serve as a fashion ramp for players to sport their individuality, sense of style and multi-million dollar brand endorsements ranging from shoes to jewellery. Over time it has transformed itself into being one of the league's inherited rhythms.
While the cricketing world hasn't made a spectacle of those tunnel walks, the San Francisco Unicorns, on a high of riding a five-match winning streak, are disrupting that space in their own right. With stand-in captain Matt Short leading the charge by striding through in nothing but his 'Budgy Smuggler' swimming briefs. Staying true to their moniker 'Unicorns', a nod to the startup world's bold instincts, the Unicorns have imported this distinctly American tradition into cricket with elan.
The Unicorns have carried that flamboyance on the field as well. Ever since the time Finn Allen teed off for his landmark innings of 151, they have played an infectious brand of cricket. One full of audacity but underpinned sharp game awareness. One backed by the genius of the tactical minds in the dugout complemented by data driven intelligence. Rightly so, given the tech undertones in their capital table. With their primary core mostly intact, the cards are falling right for the head coach Shane Watson, for whom the season is perhaps the fruition of 2 seasons spent building systems in place. Systems of excellence, culture and mindset.
It stands as a testament to the systems put in place by Shane Watson that Matt Short's elevation to captaincy following Corey Anderson's exit from the tournament hasn't disrupted the smooth rhythm with which the Unicorns have been operating this season. The energy on the field, visibly infectious, serves as the clearest barometer of a team that is high on the happiness index. As one opposition player confided to Cricbuzz, "Sahi mein jaan dete hain. Upar se bola gaya hoga" meaning 'they truly give it their all on the field, the directive seems to be coming from team management'.
The Unicorns have been a cut above the rest and by quite some distance, as the numbers resoundingly affirm. Their top seven batters have collectively averaged 39.36 at a blistering strike rate of 185.66, in stark contrast to the tournament average of 24.99 at a comparatively modest 144.34. Headlined by the likes of Matt Short, Finn Allen, and Jake Fraser-McGurk, the Unicorns' top order also boasts the highest boundary percentage and the lowest dot-ball percentage in the league. Their tally of 89 sixes towers over Washington Freedom's 59, the next best in line. Much of this dominance can be traced back to a meticulous, data-driven recruitment strategy. One that now stands vindicated, as the numbers produced on the field closely mirror the projections that fueled those selections in the first place.
At the halfway mark of the tournament, the Unicorns have emerged as the resounding favorites to clinch their first MLC title. The Unicorns juggernaut which gathered steam in the Bay area shows no signs of slowing down at the moment and captain Matt Short, exuding quiet confidence, believes a clean sweep is well within reach - something the team had envisioned even before setting foot at the Coliseum.
"There is no reason why cannot. We sat down as a group before the tournament started, and we asked a question: Why can't we win every game and win the tournament?"
© Cricbuzz
