Smith Shines As Washington Freedom Clinch Major League Cricket 2024 Title

In a spectacular display of power hitting and strategic bowling, Washington Freedom etched their name on the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 trophy with a massive 96-run victory over the San Francisco Unicorns in the championship final at Grand Prairie Stadium. Led by a stellar performance from Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell, Freedom set an imposing target of 208, which proved too steep for the Unicorns to chase in the match on Sunday. In need of a strong start, the Unicorns were immediately on the back foot.

Jake Fraser-McGurk (3) was dismissed early in the third over, and Marco Jansen (3/28) struck a crucial blow by removing Finn Allen (13), who scored a century in the qualifier. With the score at 30/3, the Unicorns were in deep trouble.

The middle-order collapse continued as Sherfane Rutherford (4) and Josh Inglis (18) fell early, extinguishing any hopes of a miraculous chase. Andrew Tye, who was brought in for the final, picked up two pivotal wickets, further tightening the noose around the Unicorns. Rachin Ravindra then cleaned out the tail with an impressive spell, ending with figures of 3/23.