Washington Freedom Snatch Last-Ball Victory Over Knight Riders, Bolster MLC Playoff Bid

The Washington Freedom pulled off a nail-biting five-wicket victory against the LA Knight Riders in Dallas, successfully chasing down a target of 214 on the very last ball. This dramatic win significantly improves their chances of qualifying for the playoffs in MLC 2025.

The winning runs were secured in dramatic fashion by Glenn Phillips and Obus Pienaar. A dropped catch by Holder at mid-on off the final delivery proved to be the turning point, denying the Knight Riders a hard-fought victory.

Earlier in the day, the Knight Riders had set a challenging target of 213/4 in their allotted 20 overs. Andre Fletcher, stepping in for Alex Hales, was the star of the innings, smashing a brilliant century. Fletcher's innings of 104 runs came off just 60 balls and included seven boundaries and six towering sixes.

Fletcher forged a formidable opening partnership with Unmukt Chand, who contributed a valuable 41 runs from 30 deliveries. Together, they amassed 130 runs in just 74 balls, laying a solid foundation for a high score.

The Knight Riders' innings maintained its momentum with rapid contributions from Sherfane Rutherford (20 off 11), Jason Holder (11 off 6), and Andre Russell (30 not out off 13). The team managed to score 59 runs in the final five overs. Fletcher was strategically retired out with two overs remaining.

In response, the Freedom's chase began explosively, with Mitchell Owen leading the charge. Owen blasted 43 runs off a mere 16 balls, hitting multiple boundaries off Ali Khan and Holder, propelling the team to 73/1 during the powerplay.

During the middle overs, Glenn Maxwell (42 off 23) and Andreas Gous kept the Freedom ahead of the required run rate. However, the Knight Riders fought back, with Holder and Tanveer Sangha claiming crucial wickets and applying pressure on the Freedom's batting lineup.

Phillips and Pienaar then joined forces, with the Freedom needing 60 runs from the final six overs. The duo expertly managed the chase, taking calculated risks and maintaining the necessary scoring rate.

The match went down to the wire, with the Freedom needing seven runs in the final over. Russell bowled exceptionally well, and despite conceding a wide and a boundary early in the over, he took the game to the last ball.

In a dramatic conclusion, Holder failed to hold onto a catch at mid-on off the final delivery, allowing Phillips and Pienaar to scramble the winning run. This victory propels the Washington Freedom to second place in the standings, surpassing the Texas Super Kings.

Brief Scores:

LA Knight Riders 213/4 in 20 overs (Andre Fletcher 104, Unmukt Chand 41; Ian Holland 2-25) lost to Washington Freedom 214/5 in 20 overs (Mitchell Owen 43, Glenn Maxwell 42, Glenn Phillips 33*; Tanveer Sangha 2-35) by 5 wickets.