Washington Freedom Bowlers Dominate, Defeat MI New York by 94 Runs
Half-centuries from Travis Head and Andries Gous, along with dominant bowling, led Washington Freedom to a crushing 94-run victory over MI New York in their fifth match of the Cognizant Major League Cricket 2024 at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on Tuesday.
Head scored 54 off 33 balls, and Gous hit 59 off 48, propelling Washington Freedom to 182/5 in 20 overs. Their bowlers then dismantled MI New York for just 88 runs, securing a commanding win. With this victory, Washington Freedom became the first team to qualify for the playoffs, topping the points table with nine points from five matches.
MI New York’s chase began disastrously, reeling at 25/5 by the end of the Powerplay. Key wickets of Steven Taylor, Monank Patel, Dewald Brevis, Shayan Jahangir, and Nicholas Pooran fell cheaply. Skipper Kieron Pollard and Rashid Khan followed, leaving MI New York struggling at 56/7 by the ninth over.
Romario Shepherd and Trent Boult showed some resistance, adding 33 runs off 16 balls, but Shepherd’s dismissal in the 11th over for 25 off 14 balls marked the end of their fightback. Maxwell wrapped up the innings in the 14th over, taking the last two wickets and bowling out MI New York for 88.
Washington had a steady start with openers Steve Smith and Travis Head. Smith was dismissed for 8 off 10 balls by Rashid Khan in the fifth over, but Head and Gous built a solid partnership. Head’s 54 off 33 balls, including nine fours and two sixes, ended when he was caught off Romario Shepherd.
Glen Maxwell was dropped once but eventually fell to Rashid Khan for 15 off 14 balls. Washington scored 49 runs in the final four overs, with Gous and Rachin Ravindra finishing strong. Ravindra’s quickfire 31 off 14 balls and Gous’s crucial 59 off 48 balls helped Washington post 182/5 in 20 overs.
Brief Scores: Washington Freedom (Andries Gous 59 off 48, Travis Head 54 off 33, Kieron Pollard 2/14 in 2 overs) beat MI New York (Romario Shepherd 25 off 14, Trent Boult 16 off 13, Jasdeep Singh 3/14 in 3 overs) by 94 runs.
