Major League Cricket: Finn Allen injured as Cooper Connolly’s San Francisco Unicorns bundled out of finals

Cooper Connolly’s San Francisco Unicorns have been bundled out of the Major League Cricket finals. The Perth Scorchers star and reigning Big Bash League player of the tournament was recalled to the Unicorns’ team — coached by Australian great Shane Watson — for the eliminator against Mumbai Indians New York on Thursday morning (Perth time). He made 23 off 19 balls but was caught up in a batting collapse that meant the Unicorns slumped to 7-62 before hobbling to 131. Connolly was recalled to the team for just his third match of the tournament and first in almost a month because Scorchers teammate and New Zealand international Finn Allen was ruled out with a foot injury. Aussie bowler Xavier Bartlett, who has starred in the competition, made 44 to salvage the innings with the bat alongside Western Australia’s Brody Couch, who made 19 off 18 balls. New York only narrowly reached the total with three balls and two wickets in hand. The Unicorns confirmed earlier this week Allen would miss the rest of the tournament, but The West Australian understands there are not yet concerns over his availability for the Big Bash, which starts in early December. Allen — who will return to the Scorchers for the second year of an international pre-signing contract — will miss New Zealand’s tri-series against Zimbabwe and South Africa, which begins next week. He will return home to New Zealand for more tests on the injured foot.