OAKLAND, Calif. (July 18, 2026) β€” LA Knight Riders claimed their first Major League Cricket title with a dramatic one-run victory over defending champions Washington Freedom in a last-ball final at the Oakland Coliseum on Saturday, capping a tense contest in front of a record MLC crowd of 11,000.

After being asked to bat, LA Knight Riders were bowled out for 164 in 19.4 overs before restricting Washington Freedom to 163 for 9, with Lahiru Milantha run out attempting a second run off the final delivery.

The victory marked LA Knight Riders' maiden MLC championship in their first appearance in the tournament final, while Washington Freedom fell just short in their attempt to secure a second title.
LA Knight Riders celebrate after defeating Washington Freedom by one run in a dramatic last-ball finish to win their first Major League Cricket title at the Oakland Coliseum. Photo by Shaun Roy / Sportzpics for MLC

Andre Fletcher and Colin Munro provided the ideal start after Freedom elected to field, sharing a 66-run opening partnership. Fletcher struck 47 from 27 balls, hitting seven fours and a six before Nikhil Chaudhary dismissed him and then removed Andre Russell for a duck in the same over to shift momentum.

Munro continued the innings alongside Matthew Tromp, adding 43 runs for the third wicket. Munro made 40 from 29 deliveries, including four sixes, before Mitchell Owen held the catch off Rachin Ravindra. Tromp then accelerated with 39 from just 21 balls, clearing the boundary three times before falling to Ben Dwarshuis. Sunil Narine departed without scoring as LA Knight Riders slipped to 109 for 4.

The middle order was unable to build substantial partnerships. Rovman Powell, Jason Holder and Jahmar Hamilton all departed cheaply as Freedom's bowlers tightened their grip. Dwarshuis led the attack with 3 for 31, Ravindra claimed 2 for 23, Mitchell Owen finished with 2 for 14, and Saurabh Netravalkar returned 1 for 23 as LA Knight Riders were dismissed with two balls remaining.

Washington Freedom's chase suffered an immediate setback as Narine ripped through the top order. The left-arm spinner removed Mitchell Owen, Steven Smith and Ravindra during the powerplay to finish with outstanding figures of 3 for 13 from four overs, leaving Freedom under early pressure.

Andries Gous and Chaudhary rebuilt with a composed 66-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Gous scored 40 from 35 balls while Chaudhary contributed 25 from 24 before both fell in successive overs to Holder, who also dismissed Dwarshuis to complete figures of 3 for 31.

With the required rate climbing, Obus Pienaar launched a remarkable counterattack that almost turned the match. His 53 from only 24 balls featured three fours and five sixes, bringing Freedom within touching distance of the target.

Needing 14 runs from the final over, Freedom remained in contention until Shadley van Schalkwyk produced two decisive wickets, bowling Pienaar and dismissing Ian Holland without scoring. The match came down to the final ball, where Milantha was run out attempting a match-tying second run, sealing victory for LA Knight Riders by the narrowest possible margin.

The result crowns LA Knight Riders as MLC champions for the first time after four seasons, while Washington Freedom finish runners-up despite another strong campaign. The thrilling finale capped a tournament defined by high-scoring matches, standout individual performances and one of the closest title deciders in Major League Cricket history.

Brief scores: LA Knight Riders 164 all out in 19.4 overs (Andre Fletcher 47, Colin Munro 40, Matthew Tromp 39; Ben Dwarshuis 3/31, Rachin Ravindra 2/23, Mitchell Owen 2/14) beat Washington Freedom 163/9 in 20 overs (Obus Pienaar 53, Andries Gous 40, Nikhil Chaudhary 25; Sunil Narine 3/13, Jason Holder 3/31, Shadley van Schalkwyk 2/50) by one run.