San Francisco Unicorns vs Washington Freedom Player Ratings · MLC 2026

Washington Freedom won by 7 runs in the 33rd match of 34 in Major League Cricket at Oakland Coliseum. Washington Freedom held their nerve in a pulsating finish to edge San Francisco Unicorns in a contest that swung decisively in the final overs. The win keeps both sides locked on 6 wins and 4 losses with the regular season drawing to a close.

Washington Freedom Post 238

San Francisco Unicorns won the toss and elected to bowl, but Washington’s batting lineup made them pay from the outset. Mitchell Owen opened with a blistering 42 off 19 balls (2 fours, 5 sixes) at a strike rate of 221, setting a frantic tempo before falling clean bowled at 83/1 in the 5.6th over.

Steven Smith continued the assault with 43 off 20 (4 fours, 3 sixes) at 215, building momentum until caught at 87/2 in the 6.5th over. Rachin Ravindra struck quickly with 28 off 14 (1 four, 3 sixes) at 200 before departing at 143/3 in the 11.1st over, but the real anchor came from Andries Gous.

Gous delivered a match-defining 73 off 40 balls (8 fours, 3 sixes) at a strike rate of 183, steadying Washington’s innings through the middle overs and taking them to 225/4 by the 19.1st over. Glenn Maxwell chipped in with 13 off 10 (1 four, 1 six) before falling at 166/5 in the 13.5th over. Nikhil Chaudhary remained unbeaten on 20 off 13 (2 sixes), and Ben Dwarshuis smashed 11 off 4 (1 four, 1 six) in the final over to push Washington to 238/6.

Xavier Bartlett was the standout bowler for San Francisco with 3/36 from 4 overs, while Ghulam Mudassar took 2/32 from 4. Brody Couch and Haris Rauf both went for 52 runs from their 4 overs, while Hassan Khan conceded 50 from 3.

San Francisco Fall Short at 231

San Francisco Unicorns needed 239 to win, and Matthew Short produced one of the performances of the season with 121 off 56 balls (11 fours, 8 sixes) at a strike rate of 216 to keep them in the hunt. Short’s assault was the centrepiece of the chase, but wickets fell regularly around him as San Francisco struggled to build partnerships.

Lhuan-dre Pretorius fell early for 18 off 10 (1 four, 2 sixes) at 20/1 in the 1.5th over. Finn Allen managed just 14 off 9 (2 fours) before departing at 46/2 in the 4.5th over. Sanjay Krishnamurthi contributed 10 off 7 (1 six) at 102/3 in the 8.1st over, while Aaron Hardie fell for just 3 off 5 lbw at 109/4 in the 9.4th over.

Hassan Khan struck 21 off 16 (2 sixes) before caught at 144/5 in the 13.3rd over, and Hammad Azam managed 7 off 6 (1 six) at 158/6 in the 14.5th over. Xavier Bartlett remained unbeaten on 28 off 13 (3 sixes) at a strike rate of 215, but San Francisco fell 7 runs short at 231/6.

Ben Dwarshuis was superb with the ball for Washington, taking 2/44 from 4 overs. Saurabh Netravalkar took 1/35 from 4, while Mitchell Owen, Rachin Ravindra and Nikhil Chaudhary each claimed 1 wicket.

Statz MVP: Xavier Bartlett (Statz Rating: 136.25)

Xavier Bartlett earns the Statz MVP award with a Statz Rating of 136.25 – the highest of the evening. His 3/36 from 4 overs with the ball set the tone for San Francisco’s bowling effort, and his unbeaten 28 off 13 (3 sixes) at a strike rate of 215 kept San Francisco alive in the chase. Statz calculates impact based on match context, and Bartlett’s combined contribution across both disciplines was decisive despite the loss.

Top 5 Statz Ratings

• Xavier Bartlett (SFU) – Statz Rating: 136.25 | 3/36 from 4 overs plus 28 off 13 (SR 215). All-round masterclass in a losing effort.
• Matthew Short (SFU) – Statz Rating: 126.98 | 121 off 56 (SR 216, 11 fours, 8 sixes). Explosive innings that nearly won the match single-handedly.
• Mitchell Owen (WSF) – Statz Rating: 84.36 | 42 off 19 (SR 221, 2 fours, 5 sixes) plus 1/57 from 4 overs with the ball. Blistering start to Washington’s innings.
• Ghulam Mudassar (SFU) – Statz Rating: 75.11 | 2/32 from 4 overs. Economical bowling under pressure in the powerplay.
• Ben Dwarshuis (WSF) – Statz Rating: 73.58 | 2/44 from 4 overs plus 11 off 4 (1 four, 1 six). Match-winning contribution with bat and ball.

Turning Point

The match turned when Matthew Short ran out of support in the final overs. Despite his brilliant 121, San Francisco needed partnerships to build around him, but wickets fell at crucial moments – particularly Aaron Hardie‘s lbw dismissal for 3 at 109/4 in the 9.4th over and Hassan Khan‘s caught dismissal at 144/5 in the 13.3rd over. Short’s brilliance alone could not bridge the gap, and Washington’s disciplined bowling in the death overs sealed the victory.

Match Context

This was the 33rd match of 34 in the Major League Cricket regular season. Both San Francisco Unicorns (1st, 6W 4L, 12pts) and Washington Freedom (3rd, 6W 4L, 12pts) remain locked on identical records with the season finale approaching. San Francisco’s net run rate of 0.487 keeps them ahead on the standings, but this loss narrows the margin. See the full scorecard on Statz for the complete breakdown, and check the bet builder for more analysis.