MLC: Bravo’s valiant 76* in vain as Washington Freedom beats Texas Super Kings by six runs

Texas [USA], July 17 (ANI): The Washington Freedom put up a clinical performance to take down Texas Super Kings by six runs in the fifth match of Major League Cricket (MLC) at Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas on Sunday.

The Washington Freedom put up a total of 163/5 in their 20 overs before restricting the Texas Super Kings to 157/7, as per a press release from MLC.
In their defence of 164 runs, Marco Jansen got Washington Freedom off to the perfect start with the ball when he bowled out Devon Conway in the very first over. Captain Faf du Plessis (14) followed his opening partner after falling to Saurabh Netravalkar in the fourth over as the Super Kings found themselves in deep trouble at 21/2.

Dane Piedt and Akeal Hosein made matters worse for the Texas Super Kings after sending David Miller (14), Milind Kumar (3) and Lahiru Milantha (15) back to the pavilion in quick succession. The Super Kings were reeling at 50/5 in 8.5 overs. Mitchell Santner struck two sixes off Piedt’s bowling in the 12th over, but he was also sent packing by Moises Henriques in the 14th over for a knock of 22. TSK was 78/6 in 14 overs.

However, Dwayne Bravo took matters into his own hands and kept the Super Kings in the game with a flurry of boundaries and sixes. He smashed 56 off 33 balls to take the equation down to 27 runs from 6 balls. Bravo managed to hit 10 runs in the first three deliveries of the final over, but, Anrich Nortje closed out the game brilliantly for Washington Freedom. Bravo played a commendable knock of 76* in just 39 balls, consisting of five fours and six sixes.

Hosein (2/25) and Jansen (2/31) were the pick of the bowlers for Freedom.

Earlier in the day, Washington Freedom won the toss and elected to bat first. Openers Matthew Short and Andries Gous got the innings going immediately with 15 runs off the first over. Short continued to find boundaries as Washington Freedom reached 30/0 at the end of the third over.

Thereafter, Short kept losing partners at the other end, but it did not deter him from batting fluently. He played a magnificent innings of 80 runs from 50 balls, laced with 10 boundaries and three sixes to take Washington Freedom’s score to 135/4 in 16 overs. Obus Pienaar’s cameo of 18 runs off 11 balls helped Washington Freedom to post a decent total of 163/5 in their 20 overs. Skipper Moises Henriques also played a vital knock of 21 runs.

Gerald Coetzee (2/26) was the pick of the bowlers for TSK.

Short won the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his performance.

Brief Scores: Washington Freedom 163/5 (Matthew Short 80, Moises Henriques 21, Gerald Coetzee 2/26) beat Texas Super Kings 157/7 (Dwayne Bravo 76*, Mitchell Santner 22, Akeal Hosein 2/25).