Washington Freedom scored 207/5 in 20 overs, where as San Francisco Unicorns scored 111 in 16 overs.
So, finally Washington Freedom beat San Francisco Unicorns by 96 runs.
Washington Freedom concluded a stellar season by securing the MLC 2024 title with a commanding performance in the final at Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas.
The two top teams had split their previous encounters, with the San Francisco Unicorns successfully chasing down 177 in the first game of the week.
However, the Unicorns were never in contention during the final after conceding 207/5.
Washington Freedom, with a season-high score, overwhelmed their opponents, winning by 96 runs— the largest margin of victory by runs this season.
Marco Jansen and Rachin Ravindra each claimed three wickets.
The final’s foundation was laid by captain Steve Smith, who scored a quickfire 88, taking his season tally to 336 at an impressive strike rate of 148.67.
Smith had to shoulder the scoring burden as his opening partner Travis Head, despite coming in with five consecutive 50+ scores, fell to Pat Cummins in an eventful first over.
Head’s dismissal, caught out with a thick edge, put Smith in the spotlight.
Initially, Smith’s start was slow, managing only 10 runs from his first 11 balls.
However, Andries Gous provided the needed momentum, striking a pair of fours and a six before being dismissed for 21.
Smith gradually found his rhythm, using the dimensions of the field and the wind to hit two sixes off Carmi le Roux.
By the 11th over, Smith reached a 34-ball fifty and accelerated further with Glenn Maxwell’s arrival.
The pair added 28 runs off Juanoy Drysdale’s 13th over, with Smith hitting two more sixes, bringing his total to five for the innings.
Smith’s innings was eventually cut short by a short ball from Cummins, leaving him 12 runs shy of a century.
Josh Inglis then stymied Maxwell’s progress, dismissing him for 40.
Despite Cummins’s efforts, Mukhtar Ahmed and Obus Pienaar boosted the total to 207, surpassing their previous season-high of 206 against the Texas Super Kings.
Chasing a record target, the Unicorns’ prospects were dim from the start.
Marco Jansen’s early breakthroughs, including dismissing Jake Fraser-McGurk and Finn Allen, and Saurabh Netravalkar’s removal of Sanjay Krishnamurthi, left the Unicorns reeling at 56 for 6 by the ninth over.
Andrew Tye’s two wickets in his second over and Jansen’s third wicket with a bouncer sealed their fate.
Rachin Ravindra then dismantled the tail with three wickets, ensuring Washington Freedom’s dominant victory.
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