Major League Cricket is going to be a completely unique experience for Cooper Connolly.
First off, his team is called the San Francisco Unicorns, and they affectionately call their fans the Sparkle Army.
The matches will take place in two main locations: the renovated Oakland Coliseum—known for Brad Pitt’s movie Moneyball—and another venue in Dallas.
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The league is mainly supported by South Asian expatriates in the U.S., while gaining popularity among local audiences. It features Indian-owned franchises and serves as America’s response to the global surge of Twenty20 competitions.
This season, the teams boast some of the best short-format players in the world.
Connolly, who previously excelled in Australia’s Big Bash League, is excited to play his first franchise tournament outside of it, joining the Unicorns.
Shane Watson, the Unicorns’ coach, believes Connolly is ready to make a mark in the MLC.
“Cooper Connolly, an Australian, possesses incredible power,” he noted.
“He’s a left-handed middle-order batsman with real strength and nice left-arm orthodox bowling. He brings great energy to the field.”
The Unicorns kick off their season on Thursday morning (WA time) against Jason Behrendorff’s Washington Freedom in Oakland.
Connolly is joined by several familiar teammates.
Finn Allen, his Scorchers teammate and New Zealand international—who he formed a close bond with over the summer—will play alongside him, as well as fellow Australians Jake Fraser-McGurk, Matt Short, and Xavier Bartlett.
Brody Couch, another teammate from Western Australia, is also playing for the Unicorns as a local player, since his mother hails from upstate New York.
“I’m thrilled to see how Cooper adapts to this environment since it’s his first franchise tournament outside the Big Bash,” Allen said.
Pat Cummins is also signed to a multi-year contract with the Unicorns, but he won’t be participating in this tournament due to international obligations.
Fellow Scorchers player Mitch Marsh will compete for the Texas Super Kings, and both Marcus Stoinis and David Warner will also participate.
Steve Smith is expected to join the Freedom for two matches squeezed in between the World Test Championship final and Australia’s Test series in the West Indies.
Connolly is unlikely to feature in that series, which starts later this month and conflicts with the MLC.
However, his inclusion in Australia’s Twenty20 squad for games in the Caribbean starting July 21 shouldn’t interfere with his availability for MLC, as the final is scheduled for July 14 in Dallas.
