OAKLAND, Calif. (July 16, 2026) β€” Washington Freedom advanced to the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2026 Final after withstanding a brilliant unbeaten century from Matthew Short to defeat the San Francisco Unicorns by seven runs in the Challenger at the Oakland Coliseum on Thursday.

After posting 238/6 in their 20 overs, Freedom held the Unicorns to 231/6 despite Short's outstanding 121 not out from 56 balls. The result sends Washington into Saturday's championship match against the LA Knight Riders.

Asked to bat first after the Unicorns elected to field, Freedom built their innings on contributions throughout the top and middle order. Mitchell Owen provided early momentum with a blistering 42 off 19 deliveries, striking five sixes before Hassan Khan ended his innings. Steven Smith maintained the tempo with 43 from 20 balls, while Rachin Ravindra added a rapid 28 off 14 to help Freedom reach 143/3 after 12 overs.
Washington Freedom players celebrate after dismissing Hassan Khan, a pivotal breakthrough in their dramatic seven-run win over the San Francisco Unicorns in the MLC Challenger. Photo by Shaun Roy/ Sportzpics for MLC

The innings was anchored by wicketkeeper-batter Andries Gous, whose 73 from 40 balls featured eight fours and three sixes. Gous controlled the middle overs before falling in the final over with the score on 225. Nikhil Chaudhary added an unbeaten 20 from 13 deliveries, while Ben Dwarshuis struck 11 off four balls, including a six, as Freedom closed on 238/6.

Xavier Bartlett was the standout bowler for the Unicorns, finishing with 3/36, while Ghulam Mudassar supported well with 2/32.

Chasing 239, San Francisco suffered an early setback when Lhuan-dre Pretorius (18) and Finn Allen (14) departed inside the opening five overs, leaving the innings at 46/2.

Short responded with a captain's innings, producing one of the finest knocks of the tournament. The left-hander struck 11 fours and eight sixes in his unbeaten 121, keeping the chase alive despite regular wickets at the other end.

Sanjay Krishnamurthi scored 10 before falling, Aaron Hardie made three, and Hassan Khan contributed 21 from 16 balls with two sixes before Nikhil Chaudhary dismissed him in the 14th over. Hammad Azam added seven as the Unicorns slipped to 166/6, leaving Short to shoulder the chase.

Needing 73 from the final five overs, Short found valuable support from Bartlett, whose unbeaten 28 from 13 deliveries included three sixes. The pair mounted a late assault, but Freedom's bowlers held their nerve in the closing overs as the Unicorns finished seven runs short.

Ben Dwarshuis led the Freedom attack with 2/44, while Mitchell Owen, Rachin Ravindra and Nikhil Chaudhary claimed one wicket each.

The match produced 469 runs and featured several momentum shifts, with Freedom's batting depth ultimately proving decisive. Their top order laid the foundation before Gous guided the innings through the middle overs, giving the bowlers enough runs to defend against Short's extraordinary effort.

The victory sends Washington Freedom into the MLC 2026 Final, where they will meet the LA Knight Riders at the Oakland Coliseum on Saturday. For the San Francisco Unicorns, the defeat ends an impressive campaign despite Short's memorable century and Bartlett's all-round performance.