In a spectacular display of powerful batting and strategic bowling, the Washington Freedom etched their name on the 2024 Major League Cricket (MLC) trophy with a massive 96-run victory over the San Francisco Unicorns in the championship final at Grand Prairie Stadium. Led by a stellar performance from Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell, Freedom set an imposing target of 208, which proved too steep for the Unicorns to chase in Sunday’s match. Needing a strong start, the Unicorns were immediately at a disadvantage.
Jake Fraser-McGurk (3) was dismissed early in the third over, and Marco Jansen (3/28) struck a crucial blow by removing Finn Allen (13), who scored a century in the qualifiers. With the score at 30/3, the Unicorns were in trouble.
The middle-order collapse continued when Sherfane Rutherford (4) and Josh Inglis (18) fell early, extinguishing any hope of a miracle chase. Andrew Tye, who was called up for the final, took two essential wickets, further tightening the noose around the Unicorns. Rachin Ravindra then cleaned up the tail with an impressive spell, finishing with figures of 23/3.
At the beginning of the last match of the tournament, the Washington team lost Head (9) early. Then Steve Smith (88 off 52 balls, with seven fours and six sixes) took center stage, anchoring the innings with a masterful knock.
He found support in Andries Gous (21 off 14 balls, with three fours and a six), who added a firming partnership before Gous and Rachin Ravindra (11) fell without significant contributions. Undeterred, Smith unleashed a series of blows, finding the boundary with ease.
Glenn Maxwell (40 off 22 balls, with four and four sixes) joined Smith and the duo took the game away from the Unicorns with their aggressive batting. A memorable over saw Drysdale concede 28 runs as Smith and Maxwell went wild, setting the stage for a massive total.
Smith’s departure, followed shortly by Maxwell’s, brought Mukhtar Ahmed (19*) into the fold, who contributed a quick appearance with some big hits, pushing the total past the 200 mark. Freedom ended their innings on 208, a record total for a final.
Brief scores: Washington Freedom (Steve Smith 88, Glenn Maxwell 40, Pat Cummins 2/35) beat San Francisco Unicorns (Carmi Le Roux 20, Josh Inglis 18, Marco Jansen 3/28) by 96 runs
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