Washington Freedom clinched the Major League Cricket 2024 (MLC 2024) title with an emphatic 96-run victory over the San Francisco Unicorns in Dallas. Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell starred with the bat, propelling Freedom to a commanding 207 for 5. Smith, overlooked for Australia’s T20 World Cup squad earlier this year, scored 88 off 52 balls, including six sixes, and Maxwell contributed a crucial 40. Their partnership of 83 off 39 balls turned the game in Freedom’s favor.
The Unicorns’ chase faltered early, with Marco Jansen taking three key wickets, including both openers. They were eventually bowled out for 111, with Rachin Ravindra and Jansen each taking three wickets. This victory cemented Freedom’s dominance in the season. They secured five wins in the group stage. Freedom advanced directly to the final with a win over the Unicorns in the Qualifier.
Smith’s innings was notable for its acceleration. He was 10 off 12 balls in the sixth over. Smith then raced to a 34-ball fifty, finishing the season as the joint second-leading run-scorer with 336 runs at a strike rate of 148.67. Despite an early setback when Travis Head was dismissed by Pat Cummins, Andries Gous and Smith steadied the innings. Smith and Maxwell then took charge, with Maxwell finding form in the closing stages of the tournament.
Though Maxwell fell shortly after Smith, Freedom still managed to surpass 200. The Unicorns’ response never gathered momentum, with early wickets falling and a high asking rate proving too much. Jake Fraser-McGurk’s disappointing tournament ended when he was bowled by Jansen, and the rest of the batting lineup failed to recover, sealing Freedom’s comprehensive victory.
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