League: Cricket
Washington Freedom (WF) secured a convincing 42-run victory over Texas Super Kings (TSK) in the 17th match of Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas.
The Washington batters put on a dominant display, posting a mammoth total of 206/5 in their allotted 20 overs. Openers Steve Smith (57) and Travis Head (53) laid a solid foundation with a half-century partnership.
The highlight of the first innings was a monstrous six from the explosive Glenn Maxwell, who dispatched a Mohammad Mohsin delivery out of the park in the seventh over.
While the Freedom batsmen enjoyed a fruitful outing, credit must be given to the Super Kings’ bowling attack. Young spinner Noor Ahmad impressed with his guile, claiming 3 wickets for 38 runs, while veteran all-rounder Dwayne Bravo kept things tight with 2 wickets for 40 runs.
Chasing a daunting target of 207, Texas crumbled under pressure, eventually being bowled out for 164 runs in 19.5 overs. Faf du Plessis (55) showed some resistance with a well-compiled half-century, but the rest of the batting lineup failed to capitalize.
Rachin Ravindra was the wrecker-in-chief for Washington Freedom, picking up four crucial wickets for just 16 runs. Jasdeep Singh also played a vital role, bagging 3 wickets for 25 runs.
With this victory, the Washington Freedom have solidified their position in the points table. They will play their final league stage match against San Francisco Unicorns on July 22. The Super Kings, on the other hand, face a do-or-die encounter against the bottom-placed Seattle Orcas on July 23. A win for the Super Kings is imperative to secure their qualification for the playoffs.