By Tim Douglas 
Washington Freedom kept their cool under pressure to secure a tense 2-wicket win over MI New York in the 11th match of the 2025 Major League Cricket at Grand Prairie Stadium.
With a target of 189 on the board, Mitchell Owen ignited Freedom’s chase with a sensational 60 off just 25 balls, giving them a head start that proved vital in the end. His blazing knock, filled with aggressive strokeplay, saw 10 boundaries including three sixes and a destructive over off young Rushil Ugarkar.
Owen’s departure in the 8th over gave MI New York an opening. But Mark Chapman steadied the innings with a mature and calculated approach. Despite losing partners at regular intervals—including a runout of Jack Edwards (30)—Chapman refused to panic.
Freedom captain Glenn Maxwell briefly turned the tide back with a couple of trademark big hits but fell to a searing yorker from Trent Boult, who along with Naveen-ul-Haq, bowled brilliantly at the death.
At 155/6 with just five overs left, Freedom needed calm heads. Chapman provided exactly that. With Boult and Naveen having finished their spells, MI NY skipper Nicholas Pooran gambled by handing the ball to Ugarkar for the 19th over. Chapman pounced, hammering two critical boundaries to pull Washington within touching distance.
He sealed the game in the final over, finishing unbeaten on 45 off 36, completing the chase with four balls to spare and handing Washington Freedom their third win of the season.
Earlier, MI New York posted 188/4 after being sent in to bat. Openers Monank Patel (32) and Quinton de Kock (55) got them off to a flying start, scoring 70 in the powerplay. Owen returned to dent the innings, removing Patel with a smart short ball.
Though Pooran (33) and Bracewell (unbeaten 37) added useful runs, the Freedom bowlers, led by Ian Holland and Mark Adair, executed tight middle overs to restrict MI NY just below 190—a total that eventually proved just short.
Washington will now look to maintain their momentum when they face Texas Super Kings on Sunday, while MI New York brace for a tough battle against the San Francisco Unicorns in their upcoming clash.
Match Summary:
MI New York: 188/4 (Quinton de Kock 55, Pooran 33; Owen 1/29, Maxwell 1/37)
Washington Freedom: 189/8 (Owen 60, Chapman 45*, Edwards 30; Naveen 2/28, Boult 2/38, Patel 2/37)
Result: Washington Freedom won by 2 wickets (4 balls remaining)
Zainab Shafiq