Washington Freedom Triumphs Over MI New York in Thrilling MLC Encounter

In a nail-biting encounter in Dallas, Washington Freedom edged out MI New York in the MLC 2025 match. Mitchell Owen's explosive batting set the tone, while the team's resilience under pressure secured their victory. Despite a shaky middle phase, Freedom's strategic play allowed them to chase down 189 runs, marking their third win of the season. MI New York, despite a strong start, struggled to maintain momentum, leaving them with only one win in four matches. Discover how the match unfolded and the key moments that defined this thrilling cricket showdown.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 22, 2025, 11:30 IST

Washington Freedom Secures Victory in Major League Cricket Showdown

Dallas [US], June 22: In a gripping Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 match held in Dallas, Washington Freedom managed to overcome a dramatic collapse to secure a narrow victory against MI New York (MINY) on Saturday. Despite facing challenges in the middle overs, a fiery start from Mitchell Owen was crucial in guiding Freedom to chase down a target of 189, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.

Freedom began the match confidently, reaching 74/2 by the end of the powerplay. Owen was explosive, scoring 60 runs off just 26 balls, which included five boundaries and five sixes. Young bowler Rushil Ugarkar struggled against Owen, conceding 22 runs in his opening over, with Owen hitting him for three sixes.

However, the dismissal of Owen in the eighth over marked a turning point, leading to a slowdown in Freedom's innings. With Rachin Ravindra and Andries Gous already dismissed, the chase lost its rhythm. Mark Chapman and Jack Edwards tried to stabilize the innings with a 41-run partnership for the fourth wicket, but it took them 5.5 overs, which was slower than Freedom required.

While Chapman found it hard to accelerate, he managed to stay at the crease as wickets fell around him. Sunny Patel and Naveen-ul-Haq spearheaded MINY's comeback during the middle overs, putting Freedom under significant pressure.

The tension heightened in the final overs. Trent Boult bowled a brilliant 18th over, allowing just one run and taking a wicket, which threatened to turn the match in MI New York's favor. However, MINY had already exhausted their main bowlers and had to bring back Rushil Ugarkar for the 19th over. This proved to be a costly decision, giving Chapman and Freedom the chance to regain control.

Kieron Pollard bowled the last over, but Freedom maintained their composure to complete the chase, marking their third victory of the season.

Earlier, after being asked to bat first, MI New York started strong with Quinton de Kock and Monank Patel leading them to 70 runs in the powerplay. However, the momentum shifted quickly when Owen struck on the first ball after the powerplay, dismissing Monank with a full delivery that was mis-hit to deep fine leg.

Despite their promising start, MI New York struggled to maintain their momentum. Nicholas Pooran, who had been out of form following a good Indian Premier League (IPL) season, scored 33 runs off 30 balls, his highest in MLC 2025 so far, but it slowed the innings considerably. De Kock also fell after scoring a solid 55 runs off 34 balls.

Michael Bracewell was the one who finally brought some momentum back with an unbeaten 42 runs off 24 balls, which included five fours and a six, contributing to a total of 188 runs for MI New York.

Ultimately, the match highlighted the importance of the powerplays and maintaining composure under pressure. Freedom scored 74 runs in their powerplay and 95 in the middle overs, while MI New York managed 70 and 78 runs in the same phases. The early aggression from Owen and the steady finish from Chapman were key to Freedom's success.

With this victory, Washington Freedom now has six points from four matches, tying with Texas Super Kings but remaining third on the table due to a lower net run-rate. MI New York, with only one win from four matches, sits in fourth place.