The San Francisco Unicorns sealed the top spot in the Major League Cricket standings and booked their place in the semifinals with a thrilling chase of 191 against the Seattle Orcas, thanks to a scintillating late attack from Hassan Khan. With 47 runs needed from the last four overs, the match was still evenly poised before Hassan tipped it in Unicorn’s favour. The left-hander hammered an unbeaten cameo, smashing consecutive sixes off Tanveer Sangha before being dismantled. Marcus Stoinis next in a sequence of six, four, four and six to complete the chase in an emphatic manner. The win not only secured San Francisco’s semifinal berth but also ended Seattle’s hopes of reaching the playoffs. Earlier in the chase, the Unicorns appeared comfortably placed at 99 for 1 after 10 overs. Finn Allen set the tone for another aggressive innings, racing to a half-century on his trademark score on the leg side, while Matt Short provided solid support. However, the momentum shifted after Allen’s dismissal. Jasdeep Sangha tempts Short into an attacking stroke after adjusting his line after two wides, with Stoinis making a sharp catch at cover to get the opener. It capped a dismal night on the field for the Australian, who had earlier taken a spectacular overhead catch at mid-off to dismiss Lhuan-dre Pretorius. Despite having wickets in hand, San Francisco slowed considerably in the middle overs, managing just 32 runs between the end of the 11th and 16th overs. Short, who moved from 27 off 20 balls to 35 off 31 that time, struggled to keep up the scoring rate before reviving the chase with back-to-back boundaries. His dismissal soon after momentarily tilted the contest back in Seattle’s favor before Hassan made the decisive counterattack. The Seattle bowlers also felt the loss of Ottneil Baartman, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, who left the competition due to other commitments. Dasun Shanaka is another notable absentee. Earlier, Seattle recovered well after going down 34-for-3. Matthew Breetzke led the charge with a sparkling knock, adding 65 runs in just 32 balls with Shimron Hetmyer. Breetzke hit four sixes and three fours, with an elegant inside-out six off Aaron Hardie among the highlights of his innings. Hetmyer’s stay ended when Xavier Bartlett completed a spectacular long-on catch, taking a fiercely beaten shot out of the air. Both Bartlett and Hetmyer looked stunned at the catch, with the batter remaining crouched on the pitch in disbelief. Breetzke then shared another important collaboration with Stoinis. The South African reached his half-century from just 24 balls, but Stoinis took time to get going, scoring just 11 from his first 13 deliveries. Peter Siddle eventually broke the stand by dismissing Breetzke, while Ali Sheikh was run out in the next ball. Stoinis stepped up late to finish with 49 from 35 balls, aided by Cameron Gannon, who blasted back-to-back sixes off Hardie, helping Seattle post 190. However, Breetzke later admitted that his side had failed. At half-time, he believed Seattle was “30 runs short”, a prediction that ultimately proved accurate as the Unicorns completed the chase to finish at the top of the table. San Francisco will now join the Los Angeles Knight Riders, MI New York and Washington Freedom in the playoffs.