San Francisco Unicorns – Sports Radio Service

Thursday, June 12, 2025

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–When I took my seat in the press box at the Oakland Coliseum this evening to watch the San Francisco Unicorns take on the Washington Freedom in the squads’ season opener, my knowledge of sport could, to paraphrase what Bob Murphy said about Chuck Dresen’s knowledge of pitching, be engraved on a grain of rice and still have room for the Declaration of Independence and the Gettysburg Address. Still, I knew a few things about the world’s second most popular sport, stuff like their not having foul lines and the importance of keeping the ball from knocking over a wicket.

But all was not lost. Major League Cricket provides play by play descriptions, commentary, and statistics at https://www.majorleaguecricket.com/matches. I understood every word. I didn’t understand what any sentence meant, But I can tell you that your San Francisco Unicorns defeated the Freedom, 269/5-146/15.

The noise of the crowd, which I estimated at 6,000-7,000, was muffled by the closed windows of the press box, but when I went downstairs to where I could hear them (and shop for souvenirs and freebies), everyone seemed to be having a grand old time, both those watching the match and those strolling the concourse.

On my way back to my seat, I ran into a woman. We started chatting, and I told her what I’d been up to and what I planned to write. She graciously offered to sit next to me at the next game I covered and to explain what was happening and its significance as long as I needed it.

If my schedule, which these days is as changeable as a baby’s bottom, allows it, I’ll cover one more Unicorn game before the end of the regular season and, after then, with any luck, some playoff contests, and I can give you an informed account of the game.

My advice to you is

If you are familiar with cricket, go to a game. You’ll probably enjoy it and come back for more. • If you know someone who’s familiar with cricket, go to one or more matches together. • If you’re as ignorant of cricket as I am, go and strike up a conversation with someone seated near you who seems to be cricket wise. • In any case, give it a try. The staff is friendly and helpful, and the vibes are good.

The Unicorn’s remaining home games at the Coliseum in the regular season are

•Saturday, June 14 vs. the Los Angeles Knight Riders •Sunday, June 15 vs. the Texas Super Kings

San Francisco Unicorns will be swinging into the regular season Thu June 12, 2025 at the Oakland Coliseum against the Washington Freedom in Major League Cricket action (San Francisco Unicorns X photo)

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–The power hitters of the East Bay political scene and Cognizant Major League Cricket were on hand at noon time Wednesday at an Oakland Coliseum that in many ways resembled the home of the A’s. For one thing, it was practically empty. The field of play, however, presented a different picture. A nascent cricket pitch occupied the area that had been center and right fields.

This was East Bay’s introduction to the Cognizant Major League Cricket and its local incarnation, the San Francisco Unicorns, whose will play their opening tournament at the “iconic and historical” Coliseum, which, it seems, is the only bay area stadium configured in a way conducive to playing cricket.

The version of the sport of the British Empire that MLC plays is Twenty20 cricket, a popular innovation that has led to a resurgence of interest in the world’s second most popular sport. Its supporters attribute some of its attractiveness to its briskness; games usually last about three hours.

No pitch clocks on this pitch. The three game series will give many of us, and I’m one of them, to learn some of the basics of classic cricket and its current truncated version. The Unicorns will face the Washington Freedom Thursday, evening at 6:00, the Los Angeles Knight Riders on Saturday, June 14 at 2:00, and then MI New York at 6:00 in the evening of Sunday the 16th . They won’t return to the Bay Area until after the regular season at the end of July. They play some more games here if they make the playoffs.

Oakland mayor Barbara Lee, ex-mayor Rebecca Kaplan, and Fremont maor Raj Salwan emphasized cricket’s ability to unify the varied population of an area like the East Bay, the economic stimulus having a high level professional team in Oakland would bring the city of Oakland and the rest of Alameda County.

Barbara Lee, the first of the mayoral trio to speak, was the star. It had been a blustery, cold, and overcast morning, but, as Kaplan pointed out, the sun broke through the moment Lee began to speak.

Mayor Salwan spoke of Fremont’s parks echoing to the sound of bats, cricket bats, all day long on Sundays. He also referred to something Kaplan discussed in an interview with another outlet, the south county cricket fans who stay up, or wake up, at 2:00 in the morning to watch the streaming of overseas cricket matches.

What Kaplan didn’t mention was that the sun hid behind the clouds as soon as Lee had finished. What no one mentioned was the contradiction between a team for all the East Bay and that squad’s name identifying it as a San Francisco team.

The mayors and the league’s representatives referred to cricket’s appearance at the 1926 Olympics and its return to them in next year’s games, scheduled for Los Angeles. Several suggested the possibility of the cricket matches being played here.

If, like me, you want to familiarize yourself with cricket, old and new, I suggest that you refer to britannica.com’s articles, “Twenty20 cricket” and “cricket.”