Faf du Plessis hit an unbeaten 113 from 52 balls as Texas Super Kings beat Seattle Orcas by six wickets in the opening match of the 2026 Major League Cricket season at Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Dallas.
The 41-year-old captain carried the chase as Texas reached 221 for four in 18.3 overs, overhauling Seattle’s 220 for two with nine balls to spare. The official scorecard listed Du Plessis as player of the match after an innings featuring nine fours and seven sixes.
Seattle had looked in control through Tim Seifert’s 104 from 66 balls and Shayan Jahangir’s 78, only for Texas to answer at a rate of 11.95 per over. Rilee Rossouw’s 49 from 21 balls gave the chase early speed before Du Plessis and Wiaan Mulder finished it.
Why Du Plessis’ MLC opener matters
The innings gives Texas Super Kings an immediate statement win and adds another late-career marker to Du Plessis’ T20 record. According to ESPNcricinfo’s match report, his 113 not out made him the oldest centurion in T20 history.
For Major League Cricket, the match was exactly the kind of high-scoring opener the competition needed: two centuries, 441 runs and a headline act in yellow still shaping games deep into his forties. Texas have both points and early authority, while Seattle are left with the awkward reality that even 220 was not enough.
