To win the MLC title, Washington Freedom beat the San Francisco Unicorns
On Sunday, July 28, the Washington Freedom capped off a dominant season by clinching the MLC 2024 title with a commanding performance in the final at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, with captain Steve Smith leading from the front. The Washington Freedom capped off a dominant season by clinching the MLC 2024 title with a commanding performance in the final at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, with captain Steve Smith leading from the front.
Smith scored 88 off just 52 balls as Freedom posted 207 runs in 20 overs. Washington’s bowlers then overwhelmed their opponents, securing a 96-run victory—the largest margin by runs in the season—with Marco Jansen and Rachin Ravindra each taking three wickets.
The top two teams of the season, Washington Freedom and San Francisco Unicorns, had split their previous encounters, with the Unicorns chasing down a target of 177 in just 14 overs in their earlier match. The stage for the final’s victory was set by captain Smith, who scored a blistering 88, bringing his season total to 336 runs at a strike rate of 148.67.
While chasing the target of 208, the Unicorns stumbled early when Jake Fraser-McGurk chopped a Marco Jansen delivery onto his stumps. The situation worsened when Jansen also dismissed the in-form Finn Allen in a similar manner. Saurabh Netravalkar then removed Sanjay Krishnamurthi, who had been instrumental in the Unicorns’ successful chase against Washington a week prior.