Lockie Ferguson (4/26) and Saurabh Netravalkar (3/18) were the standout bowlers, sharing seven wickets to restrict the Seattle Orcas to 124 in 19.4 overs. Lahiru Milantha (33* off 30) and Obus Pienaar (31* off 30) then anchored a crucial unbeaten 63-run partnership to guide Washington Freedom past their 125-run target with 10 balls to spare.
With this win, Washington Freedom moved to the top of the points table with five points from three matches, remaining the only unbeaten team in the tournament thus far.
Seattle Orcas Innings:
Seattle Orcas struggled from the start, with Nauman Anwar falling cheaply for 3 off 9 balls to Saurabh Netravalkar in the second over.
The batters found it difficult to accelerate on a slow batting track, managing only 35 runs in the Powerplay. Ryan Rickelton was dismissed for 4 off 11 balls by Lockie Ferguson in the sixth over.
Quinton de Kock (24 off 19) started well but was bowled by Ferguson in the eighth over, leaving Seattle at 44/3.
Heinrich Klaasen (51 off 29) tried to stabilize the innings with a half-century but was caught by Mukhtar Ahmed at long-off off Marco Jansen in the 15th over. Despite Klaasen's efforts, the rest of the batting lineup faltered, with Ferguson and Netravalkar dismantling the lower order.
Seattle Orcas were eventually bowled out for 124 in 19.4 overs, with Cameron Gannon's brief attempt to add runs falling short as he was dismissed for 8 off 5 balls.
Washington Freedom Innings
Chasing a modest total, Washington Freedom faced early setbacks.
Imad Wasim removed Travis Head for a duck on the second ball, finishing the over with a wicket maiden. Steve Smith and Rachin Ravindra tried to rebuild with an aggressive approach, but Ravindra was dismissed by Nandre Burger for 26 off 16 balls in the fifth over, and Smith followed shortly after for 12 off 13 balls.
Mukhtar Ahmed and Glenn Maxwell were both given lifelines with dropped catches but couldn't capitalize. Ahmed fell for 8 off 8 balls, and Maxwell was dismissed for 10 off 11 balls, leaving Washington at 68/5 after 10 overs.
However, Milantha and Pienaar displayed resilience, carefully steering the innings towards the target.
They brought Washington Freedom to the 100-run mark in the 16th over, eventually surpassing the target with an unbeaten 63-run partnership, ensuring a win with 10 balls remaining.
MLC 2024 Points Table Status after Washington Freedom win
With this victory, Washington Freedom climbed to the top of the points table, maintaining their unbeaten streak with five points from three matches.
Brief Scores:
Seattle Orcas: 124 all out in 19.4 overs (Heinrich Klaasen 51, Quinton de Kock 24; Lockie Ferguson 4/26)
Washington Freedom: 125/5 in 18.2 overs (Lahiru Milantha 33*, Obus Pienaar 31*; Nandre Burger 2/27).