Freedom Survive Nine-Wicket Collapse to Edge Super Kings on Final Ball

Washington Freedom won by 1 wicket (with 0 ball remaining) in the 13th match of 34 in the Major League Cricket 2026 season at the Oakland Coliseum, California. Texas Super Kings won the toss and elected to bat, posting a formidable 185/4 before Washington Freedom pulled off an extraordinary chase that went down to the very last delivery.

First Innings – Texas Super Kings 185/4 (20 overs)

Faf du Plessis fell early for 8 off 14 balls, caught at 29/1 (4.2 overs), but Saiteja Mukkamalla and Rilee Rossouw rebuilt steadily. Mukkamalla struck 37 off 28 balls with four fours and a six before being caught at 77/2 (9.5), while Rossouw continued aggressively with 34 off 24 (three fours, two sixes) before falling at 84/3 (11.3). Milind Kumar added 13 off 15 before being caught at 110/4 (14.6).

The real damage came from the unbeaten partnership of 75 off 34 balls between Wiaan Mulder and Donovan Ferreira. Mulder smashed 43 not out off just 20 balls with one four and four sixes at a strike rate of 215, while Ferreira was even more destructive – 44 not out off 20 balls with one four and five sixes at a strike rate of 220. Together they took TSK from 110/4 to 185/4 in a devastating late assault.

Nikhil Chaudhary was the pick of the Freedom bowlers with 2/29 from four overs at an economy of 7.25, while Lockie Ferguson took 1/31 (economy 7.75) and Marco Jansen 1/35 (economy 8.75). Asif Mehmood and Mitchell Owen went at 12.50 and 12.00 respectively as the death overs proved costly. Amila Aponso was economical without reward, conceding just 13 from his two overs.

Second Innings – Washington Freedom 187/9 (20 overs)

Mitchell Owen produced one of the most explosive innings of the MLC season, smashing 77 off 35 balls with seven fours and six sixes at a strike rate of 220. He put on 91 for the first wicket with Steven Smith, who contributed a useful 30 off 21 (three sixes) before being caught at 91/1 (7.5 overs).

Mark Chapman fell quickly for 2 at 98/2 (8.5), but Owen continued his assault, passing fifty and driving Freedom towards their target. His departure at 120/3 (11.3 overs) changed the complexion of the chase entirely. From 120/3 needing 66 off 52 balls, the Freedom middle order struggled badly.

Andries Gous managed just 6 off 12 before being caught at 122/4 (12.2), and Mukhtar Ahmed was bowled for 9 at 143/5 (15.5). Obus Pienaar injected some life with 18 off 10 balls (two sixes), but his dismissal at 171/6 (18.2) put Freedom back under pressure.

Then came the crisis. Marco Jansen was caught for 9 at 180/7 (19.2), Amila Aponso was caught for a duck next ball at 180/8 (19.3), and Asif Mehmood was stumped first ball at 180/9 (19.4). Three wickets for zero runs in three deliveries. Freedom needed 6 runs from the final two balls with just one wicket remaining.

Nikhil Chaudhary, who had been building quietly on 27 not out off 19 balls with three sixes, kept his nerve alongside Lockie Ferguson to scramble the winning runs off the final ball. An extraordinary finish to an extraordinary match.

Akeal Hosein was the standout TSK bowler with 4/36 from four overs, while Adam Milne took 2/31 at 7.75. Wiaan Mulder contributed 2/50 but at a costly economy of 12.50, and Abhimanyu Lamba was tidy with 1/25 at 6.25. Amshi de Silva went wicketless but conceded 38 from his four overs.

Statz MVP – Mitchell Owen

Mitchell Owen earns the Statz MVP award with an mi_rating of 110.85 – one of the highest individual match ratings of the MLC season so far. His 77 off 35 balls gave Washington Freedom the platform to chase down 186, and despite contributing 24 runs from two overs with the ball, the Statz model, which calculates impact based on match context, recognises that Owen’s batting was the most impactful performance of the match. The official Player of the Match went to Nikhil Chaudhary for his match-winning all-round display (27 not out off 19 and 2/29), but Owen’s devastating 77 tops the Statz ratings.

Top 5 Statz Ratings

1. Mitchell Owen – 110.85 | 77 off 35 with the bat (7 fours, 6 sixes). Set the chase alight with a destructive opening knock.
2. Wiaan Mulder – 105.37 | 43 not out off 20 with the bat plus 2/50 with the ball. Transformed TSK’s total with his death-overs blitz.
3. Nikhil Chaudhary – 101.30 | 27 not out off 19 with the bat, 2/29 with the ball. Held his nerve when it mattered most to guide Freedom home.
4. Donovan Ferreira – 72.43 | 44 not out off 20 balls, five sixes. Devastated the Freedom bowlers alongside Mulder in the death overs.
5. Akeal Hosein – 64.51 | 4/36 from four overs. Nearly won it for TSK with a four-wicket haul in the chase.

Turning Point

The dismissal of Mitchell Owen at 120/3 in the 12th over. Freedom were cruising at that point – needing just 66 from 52 balls with their destroyer at the crease. Once Owen fell, the chase turned into a struggle. Freedom went from 120/3 to 180/9, losing six wickets for 60 runs, and needed a remarkable last-ball rescue from Nikhil Chaudhary to scrape home.

Match Context

This was the 13th match of 34 in the Major League Cricket 2026 regular season. Washington Freedom sit 6th in the standings with 4 points from 4 matches (W2 L2, NRR -1.055). Texas Super Kings sit 1st on 6 points from 6 matches (W3 L3, NRR +0.021). The win is a crucial one for Freedom, who claw their way back to a .500 record and remain firmly in the playoff picture. For TSK, their record of three wins from six at the top of the table shows how tight this competition is – every team bar one has four points or more.

View the full scorecard on Statz