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Washington Freedom win inaugural MLC match at Pomona
Washington Freedom climbed to fourth in the MLC standings, while the LA Knight Riders slipped to the bottom on net run rate.
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Bhavana P - Thu, 02, Jul 2026
- 16:06 EDT
- 41
Washington Freedom / X/ WSHFreedom
Washington Freedom soiled the LA Knight Riders' historic home debut, defeating the hosts by six wickets in the first professional cricket match played at Knight Riders Cricket Field on July 1.
Washington's bowlers laid the foundation for victory by dismissing the Knight Riders for 108 in 17.5 overs after the hosts elected to bat. Saurabh Netravalkar and Mitchell Owen claimed three wickets apiece, while Ben Dwarshuis and Ian Holland took two each to restrict the scoring throughout the innings.
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Rovman Powell top-scored with 30 off 19 balls, Colin Munro made 25 and Matthew Tromp contributed 21. Andre Russell was dismissed for a first-ball duck.
Chasing 109, Washington lost Mitchell Owen and Andries Gous early as Sunil Narine reduced the visitors to 14 for 2. Captain Steven Smith then steadied the innings with an unbeaten 40 off 44 deliveries, sharing a 62-run partnership with Mark Chapman, who scored 34 from 30 balls.
Nikhil Chaudhary added 15 before Smith guided Washington to 110 for 4 in 17.1 overs, securing victory with 17 balls remaining.
The result lifted Washington Freedom to fourth place in the Major League Cricket standings, strengthening their position in the playoff race.
The defeat left the LA Knight Riders at the bottom of the table on net run rate and extended their run of low-scoring batting performances to three consecutive matches.
The match marked a milestone for Major League Cricket as the newly built venue in Pomona hosted its inaugural professional fixture ahead of its planned role as a cricket venue during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The stadium, developed by the Knight Riders Group, was hailed by co-owner Shah Rukh Khan as a landmark for cricket in Los Angeles and a future hub for the sport and the local community.
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