Right then, that is it from the qualifier game of the Major League Cricket between San Francisco Unicorns and Washington Freedom. It is Washingtom Freedom that have sealed their spot in the finals while the San Francisco will have another chance to make it there. The Challenger game will be played on the 27th of July 2024 at 6 am IST (12.30 am GMT) where the Unicorns will face the Texas Super Kings. Our coverage will start an hour earlier so make sure to tune in for an exciting mactch. Until then, goodbye and cheers!

Steven Smith, the captain of Washington Freedom says that captaincy has been fun and the team works as a unit. Says that it has been a good campaign and appreciates his team for playing well. Mentions that he wanted wickets with the new ball to make it easier towards the later stages. Credits Travis Head and Glenn Maxwell for playing well. Adds that Head is confident and tries to hit every ball and targets all the pockets of the ground which works for him.

Corey Anderson, the captain of San Francisco Unicorns says that losing 4 wickets in the first innings was tough and that they were 20-30 runs short. Feels that they weren’t up to the mark throughout the game. Says that the batters need to take risks and they will bounce back stronger.

Travis Head is the Player of the Match for his scintillating knock. He says that batting in the Powerplay is fun for him. Adds that he tries to get that fast start and that is his role in the team. Mentions that the wicket here is good and the swing on offer here allows him to play some good shots. Says that the team has full faith in him and has given him free air to do his thing.

The Presentation ceremony…

Rachin Ravindra is up for a chat. He says that he is happy with his bowling and it was a good day for them. Mentions that it is all about execution and is happy to fulfill the role of the backup bowler. Adds that he aims to be a genuine all rounder and help the teams that he is a part of. Says that he tries to soak it as much as he can and learn from the senior players and coaches. Feels that he is adjusting to the role and learns from every experience.

Earlier in the match, Washington Freedom won the toss and opted to have San Francisco bat first. The innings began with Marco Jansen claiming an early wicket, dismissing Finn Allen cheaply. Jake Fraser-McGurk followed suit, falling to Saurabh Netravalkar without scoring. Wickets kept on tumbling for them until Hassan Khan and Anderson joined hands. Hassan Khan played a commendable innings, scoring 57 runs, supported by Corey Anderson's 26 off 19, as they added 61 runs for the 6th wicket from just 35 balls. Once Anderson departed, the things kept falling apart for them. Rachin Ravindra was the standout bowler for the Washington Freedom with remarkable figures of 4 wickets for just 11 runs. Marco Jansen took three wickets but was expensive, while Saurabh Netravalkar ended up with 2 wickets in his kitty.

San Francisco Unicorns would have wanted a few more runs on the board in the first innings but Pat Cummins gave them a great start with the wicket of Steven Smith. Hassan Khan then worked his spin magic and sent Andries Gous and Rachin Ravindra back in consecutive overs. After that, the bowlers just gave away some loose deliveries and got themselves under pressure. The poor overs by Haris Rauf and Corey Anderson didn't help their cause and they failed to break the partnership. In the end, the total was a bit low to defend. However, they will still have one more chance in the Challenger to give themselves a ticket to the finals.

Washington Freedom have beaten San Francisco Unicorns very confidently and established themselves in the finals directly! They had a shaky start with the early dismissal of Steven Smith and the initial struggle by Travis Head. However, Andries Gous came in to play a few shots while Travis Head too found his rhythm. His onslaught combined with Glenn Maxwell's power hitting gave the boost needed to this team. The positive intent got the opposition under pressure and sealed the game in their favor.