Match Details

LAKR vs WF 9th Match, MLC 2023

177-418.1

Washington Freedom won by 6 wickets 🏆

LAKR

20.0175-7

Match info

Live

Scorecard

Player of the Match

Andre Russell

Los Angeles Knight Riders

70(37)

WF - 2nd Innings

Session	Open	PASS
6 Over	48	74
10 Over	102	107
15 Over	150	156

LAKR - 1st Innings

Session	Open	PASS
6 Over	49	36
10 Over	64	61
15 Over	104	112
20 Over	168	175

Commentary

So, that’s all the action from this encounter. Washington Freedom has climbed to the 3rd position in the points table with this victory. Join us tomorrow as Seattle Orcas takes on Texas Super Kings and stay tuned for more cricketing action from around the world. For now, this is Megh Mandaliya, signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Deepak Prakash alongside our scorer/analyst Zeeshan Naiyer. Cheers!

Moises Henriques (Washington Freedom Captain): "I thought after the start we got with the ball, they were 10-15 more than what I would have liked. Actually, 50 more than what I would have liked. We would have loved to restrict them to a few less but the way we started completely changed the momentum. We knew the ball would skid more under lights and we spoke about how hard it was with the new ball early on. In the end there, it got really dark. I don't really know. We keep doing what we are doing and keep focusing on the process. We have to adapt to different environments and keep the winning momentum going."

Sunil Narine (Los Angeles Knight Riders Captain): "Yeah, I generally thought it was a good total. They capitalized in the powerplay and I think they took it away from us. We tried in the middle, didn't happen and they finished it well. (Pitch) I think it got better. It was a bit more true when the lights came on, and we didn't execute our plans, that's cricket."

Andre Russell (Player of the Match): "The body is good. In most games in T20s, there is a niggle here and there. But you have to be tough. I have played around 100 games to be fully fit. They manage me well. Yeah, I am enjoying it but the result has been the issue. It would be better if we all finish with a win. No luck has been going our way. Luck is important in T20 cricket. We still have a good unit and it's just about analyzing and trying to win the last game and have an orange juice for that."

Power hitter of the day: Andre Russell (95m)

Play of the day: Andre Russell

6:41 AM IST, 9:12 PM Local Time | Time for the presentation ceremony...

Matthew Short: "Yeah, the ball was coming nice on the bat when the lights come on, and the wicket quickened up a little bit. Sunil and Zampa were the hardest to face but we attacked the quicks and it paid off. Massive win in terms of confidence and getting to the top four. Yeah, it's nice and I am lucky to be here. Playing here has been awesome, and thanks to the crowd for coming up tonight."

6:30 AM IST, 9:00 PM Local Time | There it is! Obus Pienaar finishes the game in style! Washington Freedom continue their winning momentum in the tournament and they have now won two games on the bounce. This was a resounding performance from the Moises Henriques-led side and they have thumped the Los Angeles Knight Riders by 6 wickets. It was another frustrating performance from Knight Riders despite Russell's heroics with the bat. They are now eliminated from the playoff contention after losing four games on the trot.

Chasing a challenging score of 176, Matthew Short propelled the Washington Freedom to a rollicking start by aggregating 15 runs off the opening over. The right-handed Andries Gous also joined forces with him and teed off in the following over by swatting 19 runs from it. Both Short and Gous made the most of the field restrictions and stitched a 68-run partnership before Spencer Johnson got better of Gous 40(15) in the last over of the powerplay. Nonetheless, the early pyrotechnics from both the openers helped Washington secure 74 runs off the powerplay.

Short and Mukhtar Ahmed dictated the play well in the middle over and kept the opposition at bay. They added 28 runs for the second wicket before Ali Khan halted their progress by dismissing Mukhtar 15(11). The New Zealand batter Glenn Phillips discovered his form and batted aggressively to keep the runs flowing. The 38-run partnership between Phillips and Short brought the equation under control. Short fell 7 runs short of a well-deserving half-century as Sunil Narine cleaned him up on 43(35). That was soon followed by the wicket of Phillips 29(19).

Just when the pressure was starting to build, Obus Pienaar 26*(17) thumped Spencer Johnson for two consecutive boundaries in the 15th over and ensured are no hiccups in the chase. Skipper Moises Henriques also ably supported him and added a crucial 16*(12) to the tally. Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson, Ali Khan, and Sunil Narine bagged one wicket each.

Earlier in the day, after being invited to bat first for the first time in the competition, the Los Angeles Knight Riders were off to a sedate start as the left-arm pace of Saurabh Netravalkar and Marco Jansen flustered the opening duo of Jason Roy and Unmukt Chand. Both the batters tried to break free by attempting innovative shots early on but the Washington pacers were disciplined. Roy 7(10) broke the shackles in the 4th over but Netravalkar trapped him lbw the very next ball and drew the first blood in the contest. Unmukt pushed the pedal in the last over of the powerplay and steered the Knight Riders 36/1 at the end of the powerplay.

The Knight Riders’ batting department again lost the plot and succumbed to the building pressure. Freedom skipper Moises Henriques brought himself into the attack right after the powerplay and extracted two massive wickets in the same over. The right-arm medium pacer first dismissed Nitish Kumar 9(8) with astute field placement before outsmarting the right-handed Chand 18(21) with a much straighter delivery. Tottering at 68/4, Andre Russell paired up with Rilee Rossouw to start the recovery work. The left-right duo attacked the spinners and kept moving the scorecard at a brisk rate.

Rossouw and Russell orchestrated a quick 86-run partnership for the 5th wicket before the former holed out in the deep at 41(30). Dre-Russ kept swatting the bowlers all across the ground and played a destructive innings of 70*(37), which included 6 fours and 6 maximums to his credit. Skipper Moises Henriques (3/26) was the successful bowler for Washington Freedom. Stick around for the post-match presentation!

18.1 A Khan to O Pienaar

4 FOUR! That's it, a comprehensive victory for Washington Freedom as they win by 6 wickets with 11 balls to spare. A poor bowling display by Los Angeles Knight Riders, and they are eliminated from the race of playoffs.

Short of length delivery outside the off. Pienaar slices at it and gets the thick outside edge of the bat on it. The ball flies towards the backward square leg and goes over the ropes on a couple of bounces.

Just 3 runs required from the last 12 deliveries. Ali Khan comes back into the attack.

OVER 18

Washington Freedom

173/4

Moises Henriques

16(12)

Obus Pienaar

22(16)

Corne Dry

0-38(4.0)

17.6 C Dry to O Pienaar

1 Fuller delivery on the off-stump line. Pienaar drills it down the ground for a single to end the over.

17.5 C Dry to O Pienaar

0 Short of length delivery outside the off. Pienaar pulls and gets beaten.

17.4 C Dry to O Pienaar

4 FOUR! Low full toss delivery outside the off. Pienaar throws his bat at it and connects it well. The ball races away to deep covers for a boundary. Freedom are just one hit away from victory.

17.3 C Dry to M Henriques

1 In the air and safe. Back of length delivery outside the off. Henriques pulls and gets the top edge of the bat on it. The ball balloons up in the air and lands in the vacant short mid-wicket for a run.

17.2 C Dry to O Pienaar

1 Back of length delivery around the off. Pienaar swings across the line of the ball but mistimes it to widish long-on for a single.