Major League Cricket: The MLC 2024 final promises to be a thrilling encounter as the Washington Freedom take on the San Francisco Unicorns at Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas. The match is scheduled for Monday, July 29, 2024, with a start time of 5:30 AM PST, 12:30 AM GMT, and 7:30 PM local time.
Washington Freedom earned their place in the final by winning the qualifier against the same opponents, the San Francisco Unicorns. The Unicorns, undeterred by their qualifier loss, bounced back strongly to defeat the Texas Super Kings in the Challenger match, setting up a highly anticipated rematch for the championship.
MLC 2024 Final Squads
Washington Freedom
The complete Washington Freedom squad is: Bodugum Akhilesh Reddy, Jack Edwards, Mukhtar Ahmed, Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, Rachin Ravindra, Ian Holland, Justin Dill, Marco Jansen, Obus Pienaar, Andries Gous, Lahiru Milantha, Akeal Hosein, Amila Aponso, Andrew Tye, Lockie Ferguson, Saurabh Netravalkar, Yasir Mohammad, Steven Smith, and Jasdeep Singh.
San Francisco Unicorns
The full San Francisco Unicorns squad is: Matthew Short, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Finn Allen, Corey Anderson, Sherfane Rutherford, Hassan Khan, Jahmar Hamilton, Josh Inglis (wk), Karima Gore, Haris Rauf, Matt Henry, Carmi le Roux, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Brody Couch, Pat Cummins (c), Tajinder Dhillon, Abrar Ahmed, Wiaan Mulder, and Juanoy Drysdale. This final is set to be a showcase of top-tier cricket talent and intense competition, with both teams eager to claim the inaugural MLC title.
Where to Watch MLC 2024 Final?
Here’s where you can catch all the MLC 2024 Final live action:
- USA: Willow by Cricbuzz, YES Network, and more regional sports networks (RSNs) to be announced.
- Canada: Willow by Cricbuzz.
- Australia and New Zealand: Prime Video.
- Middle East and North Africa: Cricbuzz.
- Pakistan: A Sports.
- Sub-Saharan Africa: ESPN.
- UK and Ireland: TNT Sports.
MLC 2024 Challenger Report
On July 26, 2024, the San Francisco Unicorns faced the Texas Super Kings in the Challenger match of the Major League Cricket at Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas. In a thrilling encounter, the Unicorns emerged victorious by 10 runs, securing their spot in the final against Washington Freedom.
Batting first, the San Francisco Unicorns posted an imposing total of 200/6 in their allotted 20 overs. The star of the innings was Finn Allen, who played a scintillating knock of 101 off just 53 balls. His innings was studded with 9 fours and 5 sixes, showcasing a blend of power and precision. Allen’s aggressive approach set the tone for the Unicorns, as they reached 66 runs in the powerplay without losing a wicket.
Jake Fraser-McGurk (18 off 14) provided solid support before falling to Noor Ahmad in the seventh over. Ahmad struck again shortly after, removing Sanjay Krishnamurthi for a duck. Despite these setbacks, Allen continued his onslaught, bringing up his century off 52 balls. Josh Inglis contributed a valuable 37 off 25 balls, while Hassan Khan’s quickfire 27 off 15 balls ensured the Unicorns reached the 200-run mark.
For the Texas Super Kings, Noor Ahmad was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 3 wickets for 27 runs. Mohammad Mohsin and Ottneil Baartman also chipped in with a wicket each, but the Unicorns’ aggressive batting kept the bowlers under pressure throughout the innings.
Chasing 201, the Texas Super Kings got off to a flying start, with Faf du Plessis and Devon Conway putting on a rapid 55-run partnership for the first wicket. Du Plessis was in sublime form, scoring 45 off just 22 balls before being dismissed by Carmi le Roux in the fourth over. Despite this setback, Conway continued to anchor the innings, eventually finishing unbeaten on 62 off 38 balls.
The middle order, however, failed to capitalize on the strong start. Aaron Hardie (19 off 15) and Milind Kumar (2 off 4) fell cheaply, while Marcus Stoinis could only manage 1 off 5 balls. With the Super Kings struggling at 90/4, it was left to Conway and Joshua Tromp to mount a comeback. Tromp played a brilliant innings, scoring 56 off 36 balls, but the asking rate kept climbing.
The Unicorns’ bowlers held their nerve in the final overs. Juanoy Drysdale was particularly effective, taking 2 wickets for 33 runs in his 4 overs. Pat Cummins and Haris Rauf, despite being expensive, managed to contain the Super Kings in the death overs. Hassan Khan also contributed with a tight spell, conceding just 25 runs in his 4 overs and picking up the crucial wicket of Milind Kumar.
In the end, the Texas Super Kings fell short by 10 runs, finishing their innings at 190/4. The victory for the San Francisco Unicorns was largely built on Finn Allen’s magnificent century and a disciplined bowling performance, setting up an exciting final clash with Washington Freedom.
