San Francisco Unicorns sealed top spot in the Major League Cricket rankings and booked their place in the semi-finals with a thrilling chase of 191 against Seattle Orcas, thanks to a sensational late onslaught from Hassan Khan. With 47 runs needed from the last four overs, the contest was still in the balance before Hassan decisively swung it in favor of the Unicorns. The left-hander hammered an unbeaten cameo, smashing consecutive sixes off Tanveer Sangha before being dismantled. Marcus Stoinis in the next above with a sequence of six, four, four and six to complete the pursuit in an emphatic way. The win not only secured San Francisco’s semifinal spot, but also ended Seattle’s hopes of making the playoffs. First in the chase, the Unicorns appeared comfortably placed at 99 for 1 after 10 overs. Finn Allen he set the tone with another aggressive innings, racing to a half-century with his trademark leg shot, while Matt Short provided solid support. However, momentum shifted after Allen’s firing. Jasdeep Sangha tempted Short into an attacking stroke after he added his line after two wides, with Stoinis producing a sharp catch at cover to take out the opener. It capped a busy evening in the field for the Australian, who had earlier taken a spectacular catch above mid-wicket to dismiss Lhuan-dre Pretorius. Despite having the wickets in hand, San Francisco slowed considerably during the middle overs, managing just 32 runs between the 11th and 16th overs. Short, who went from 27 off 20 balls to 35 off 31 during that period, struggled to maintain the scoring rate before reviving the chase with back-to-back boundaries. His layoff soon after briefly tilted the contest in Seattle’s favor before Hassan produced the decisive counterattack. The Seattle bowlers also felt the absence of Ottneil Baartman, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, who had left the competition for other commitments. Dasun Shanaka was another notable absentee. Earlier, Seattle recovered well after trailing at 34 for 3. Matthew Breetzke led the fight with scintillating knock, adding 65 runs in just 32 balls alongside Shimron Hetmyer. Breetzke hit four sixes and three fours, with a classy in-out six off Aaron Hardie among the highlights of his innings. Hetmyer’s stay ended when Xavier Bartlett took an outstanding catch at long-on, taking a fierce shot out of the air. Both Bartlett and Hetmyer looked stunned by the catch, with the batsman left crouching on the field in disbelief. Breetzke then shared another important partnership with Stoinis. The South African reached his half-century from just 24 balls, but Stoinis took time to get going, scoring just 11 off his first 13 deliveries. Peter Siddle eventually broke the stand dismissing Breetzke, while Ali Sheikh was run out of the next ball. Stoinis stepped up late to finish with 49 from 35 balls, helped by Cameron Gannon, who smashed consecutive sixes off Hardie, helping Seattle post 190. Even so, Breetzke later admitted that his side had fallen. At the halfway stage, he believed Seattle were “30 runs short”, a prediction that ultimately proved accurate as the Unicorns completed the chase to finish top of the table. San Francisco will now be joined in the playoffs by Los Angeles Knight Riders, MI New York and Washington Freedom.