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LA Knight Riders advance to MLC 2026 final
Washington Freedom will face the San Francisco Unicorns in the Challenger on July 16, with the winner advancing to the MLC 2026 final.
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Bhavana P - Thu, 16, Jul 2026
- 16:30 EDT
- 42
Team LA Knight Riders / X/ LA_KnightRiders
The Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR) secured the first spot in the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2026 final after defeating the San Francisco Unicorns by seven runs on July 15 at Oakland Coliseum.
Batting first after being sent in, LAKR posted 187/3 in 20 overs. Andre Russell anchored the innings with an unbeaten 62, Rovman Powell provided a late flourish with an unbeaten 50 off just 15 balls, and Colin Munro added 51. Chasing 188, the Unicorns lost both openers for golden ducks in the first over to Sunil Narine.
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Matthew Short remained unbeaten on 94 and shared a 151-run partnership with Sanjay Krishnamurthi (65), but San Francisco finished on 180/4 to fall seven runs short.
In the Eliminator, Washington Freedom advanced to the Challenger after registering a six-wicket victory over MI New York in a record-breaking run chase.
MI New York posted 266/9, with Nicholas Pooran smashing 106 off 33 balls and Kieron Pollard contributing 64 off 25. Pooran's century, reached in just 30 deliveries, was the fastest in MLC history, while Rachin Ravindra claimed 4/29 for Washington Freedom.
Freedom recovered from 10/2 through a record 241-run third-wicket partnership between Andries Gous and Steven Smith. Gous struck 132 off 51 balls, while Smith remained unbeaten on 110 off 48 as Washington chased down the target in 18.4 overs, finishing on 270/4. The match aggregate of 536 runs is the highest in MLC history.
Washington Freedom will now face the San Francisco Unicorns in the Challenger on July 16, with the winner earning the second berth in the MLC 2026 final against the Los Angeles Knight Riders.
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