DALLAS: Rachin Ravindra’s four-fer followed by Travis Head and Glenn Maxwell’s blistering half-centuries steered Washington Freedom to Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 final with a thumping victory over San Francisco Unicorns on Thursday.
Washington Freedom invited San Francisco Unicorns to bat and bundled them to a meagre 145. The small target was easily chased in 15.3 overs at a loss of three wickets.
Marco Jansen gave Washington Freedom a good start with the ball, removing Finn Allen in the first over. He then bowled Josh Inglis to close the sixth over at a score of 49-3.
Rachin Ravindra trapped Sanjay Krishnamurthi in front of the stumps in the next over to pick his first wicket of the day.
Hassan Khan came out to bat after the wicket of Krishnamurthi and played a brilliant knock of 57 runs from 36 balls with the help of six sixes.
Meanwhile, Ravindra came to complete the 18th over after Lockie Ferguson pulled his hamstring after two balls. Ravindra picked two wickets without giving any run in the next four balls.
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Hassan Khan was still unbeaten with nine wickets down, he struck the last of his six sixes in the next over against Saurabh Netravalkar before he also fell prey to Ravindra on the first ball of the last over.
Ravindra returned with figures of 4-11 in 2.4 overs. During his 16-ball spell, he bowled a whopping 11 dot balls. Meanwhile, Marco Jansen picked three wickets.
While chasing 146, Washington Freedom lost Steve Smith in the second over. However, Travis Head kept the Freedom in the hunt with his aggressive strokeplay.
Head struck 41 runs during the 51-run partnership with Andries Gous (9). Hassan Khan removed Gous and Rachindra (3) to dent the pursuit.
But Glenn Maxwell joined Head and together they steered the side to a comfortable victory with an unbeaten 85-run partnership from 40 balls.
Head scored 77 runs from 44 balls, featuring 10 boundaries and three sixes, while Maxwell struck 54 off 23 with the help of four boundaries and five sixes.
San Francisco Unicorns will face off against Texas Super Kings in the Challenger match to determine the second finalist of the MLC 2024.
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