MLC 2024: San Francisco Unicorns Beat Washington Freedom in Rain-Affected Game; Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Josh Inglis Star

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Dallas (Texas), Jul 23: Sanjay Krishnamurthi's unbeaten 79 off 42 balls and Josh Inglis' rapid 45 off 17 balls led the San Francisco Unicorns to a memorable victory over Washington Freedom, handing them their first loss of the season in the penultimate league stage match of the Major League Cricket 2024 at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on Monday (July 23).

Despite half-centuries from Steve Smith and Travis Head, which propelled Washington Freedom to 174/3 in 15.3 overs, the Unicorns executed their run chase with precision in a rain-affected game, securing a six-wicket win via the DLS Method.

Both teams concluded the league stage with 11 points from seven matches. However, Washington Freedom topped the standings due to a superior Net Run Rate, with the San Francisco Unicorns finishing second.

With the game reduced to 14 overs due to rain, San Francisco Unicorns were set a DLS-adjusted target of 177 runs. Finn Allen's dismissal on the first ball of the innings by Akeal Hosein posed an early challenge.

Undeterred, Jake Fraser-McGurk and Sanjay Krishnamurthi adopted an aggressive approach, scoring 42 runs in the 4-over Powerplay. Fraser-McGurk, having scored 18 off 9 balls, was caught behind by Andries Gous off Andrew Tye in the next over.

Krishnamurthi, who was dropped by Mukhtar Ahmed on 13 in the second over, reached his fifty off 28 balls in the eighth over. Josh Inglis then played a blistering innings, scoring 45 runs off 17 balls with six sixes and one four. He hit three consecutive sixes off Jack Edwards in the ninth over, reducing the target to 67 runs from 30 balls.

Tye, who had been hit for two sixes by Inglis in his second over, got his revenge by dismissing Inglis on the fourth ball and then removing Sherfane Rutherford on the last ball of the 10th over.

Krishnamurthi then took charge of the run chase, partnering with Hassan Khan to score 33 runs in the next two overs. They chased down the remaining 22 runs needed from 12 balls, with two balls to spare.

Earlier, Steve Smith and Travis Head gave Washington Freedom a flying start, amassing 70 runs in the Powerplay. They brought up the team's 100-run mark in the 9.3 over. Smith was then dismissed by Corey Anderson on the next ball after scoring a remarkable 56 off 31 balls.

Head continued his impressive form, reaching his fourth consecutive fifty in 34 balls before being dismissed by Anderson in the 12th over after scoring 56 off 36 balls, leaving Washington at 122/2.

Rachin Ravindra played a quick cameo, scoring 16 off 6 balls before being run out in the 14th over. Gous (29* off 20) continued to find timely boundaries until rain halted play after 15.3 overs, with Washington at 174/3. The match was then revised to a 14-over chase for San Francisco.

With both teams finishing in the top two, Washington Freedom and San Francisco Unicorns will face each other again in the Qualifier on July 25 at 0730 PM Local Time at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas.

Brief Scores:

San Francisco Unicorns 177/4 (Sanjay Krishnamurthi 79* off 42, Josh Inglis 45 off 17, Andrew Tye 3/41) beat Washington Freedom 174/3 in 15.3 overs (Steve Smith 56 off 31, Travis Head 56 off 36, Corey Anderson 2/20) by 6 wickets (DLS Method).