The excitement is building as Major League Cricket's (MLC) inaugural season playoffs are all set to start this Thursday, July 27, at the newly reopened Grand Prairie Stadium just outside of downtown Dallas. Cricket enthusiasts and sports fans alike are eagerly looking forward to witnessing the first staging of MLC playoffs here in Texas, as four teams featuring the world’s best cricketers compete to win the inaugural MLC Championship.

The playoff doubleheader on Thursday will feature two action-packed matches, starting with the first match-up at 3:30pm CT, which will see the Washington Freedom take on MI New York. The Washington Freedom enter the playoffs as the third seed, while MI New York holds the fourth seed. The match is an “Eliminator” game, meaning the loser departs from the competition while the winner advances to play in the “Challenger” match on Friday. The winner of the “Challenger” match advances to the championship final on Sunday.

Following the conclusion of the Eliminator match, the second-seeded Texas Super Kings will take the field against the top-seeded Seattle Orcas at 7:30pm CT in the “Qualifier” match. The hometown team, led by South African superstar Faf du Plessis, will face a tough challenge from the Orcas, who won four out of five games in the round-robin stage, highlighted by Heinrich Klaasen smashing the first century in MLC history yesterday in a thrilling victory over MI New York. The winner of the Qualifier match advances directly to the final on Sunday, while the loser receives one more shot to advance by taking part in Friday’s Challenger match.

In addition to a day packed with action on the pitch, the ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy will be on display during Thursday’s match-ups. Fans can take photos up close with the trophy during its stop in Dallas before it continues on this summers ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy tour. The MLC Championship Trophy will also be for fans during the playoff matches.

Tickets are sold-out for Friday and Sunday’s match-ups, but limited seats remain available for Thursday’s doubleheader and fans are encouraged to purchase soon at tickets.majorleaguecricket.com.

Playoff Details:
Venue: Grand Prairie Stadium,1600 Lone Star Pkwy, Grand Prairie, TX 75050

Match Schedule:
Thursday, July 27

Eliminator Match
3:30pm CT: Washington Freedom vs. MI New York

Qualifier Match
7:30pm CT: Texas Super Kings vs. Seattle Orcas

Friday, July 28

Challenger Match
7:30pm CT: Winner Eliminator Match vs. Loser Qualifier Match

Sunday, July 30

Championship Match
7:30pm CT: Winner Qualifier Match vs. Winner Challenger Match