Top 5 knocks of MLC 2024 ft. Steve Smith
Washington Freedom, the best side in the league stage of MLC 2024, capped off an amazing season by clinching the MLC 2024 title with a commanding performance in the final at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas.
The San Francisco Unicorns faltered, allowing Washington to post a formidable 207/5. Freedom bowlers then stepped up and never allowed Unicorns to get anywhere near the chase as they won the match by a massive 96 runs - the largest win margin of the season. Marco Jansen and Rachin Ravindra were stars with the ball as they picked up three wickets after Steve Smith starred with an innings of 88.
Here we take a look at the top five knocks of MLC 2024:
#5 Travis Head
MVP of MLC 2024, Travis Head was in sparkling form - he scored five consecutive half-centuries at one stage of the tournament. He scored 54, 53, 56, and 77 for the Washington Freedom in successive innings with an excellent strike rate of 175.
He played one of the most impactful innings of the tournament against the San Francisco Unicorns where he slammed 77 off 44 balls, including ten fours and three sixes. This led the Washington Freedom to a seven-wicket victory.
Head has been one of the most prolific batters across all the three formats and his recent exploits in T20 cricket will enthuse the Australian selectors going forward.
#4 Ryan Rickelton
The Seattle Orcas got their first win of this MLC season when they downed the Los Angeles Knight Riders at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas. The management made an inspired decision to include Rickleton for this match and he repaid the faith in good measure.
He notched up his maiden T20 century and remained unbeaten on 103 off 66 balls. He shared a match-winning partnership with Quinton de Kock (51*) and this 152-run stand effortlessly chased down LAKR's total of 168.
Rickelton had replaced Aaron Jones in the Orcas' top order and he raced ahead to 35 off 23 deliveries. He had moved past 50 after 10 overs and maintained a good clip even as Quinton de Kock was getting into his work after a slow start at the other end.
#3 Faf du Plessis
Faf du Plessis wound the clock back as he scored an outstanding 100 off 58 balls and powered the Texas Super Kings to 203 for 5 in 20 overs against Washington Freedom. In response, Freedom started like a train as Travis Head and Steve Smith raced to 62 for no loss in four overs. However, rain intervened and no action was possible after this break.
Earlier in the game, the Super Kings made a strong start as Du Plessis and Devon Conway started with a 109-run partnership for the first wicket in just 10.2 overs. After the dismissal of Aaron Hardie, Marcus Stoinis joined du Plessis, contributing a swift 29 off 18 balls. Du Plessis was dismissed in the 19th over, but the Super Kings collected 60 runs off the last 30 balls to power to the season's first 200-plus score.
#2 Sanjay Krishnamurthi
USA batter Sanjay Krishnamurthi was the talk of the league when he played one of the best knocks in the MLC. San Francisco Unicorns captain Corey Anderson won the toss and elected to field and saw Washington Freedom power to 174/3 in 15.3 overs before rain interrupted play. Steven Smith (56 off 31 balls) and Travis Head (56 off 36 balls) were the usual suspects with the bat as both hit fifties for Washington.
Now, Unicorns had a revised target of 177 in 14 overs and the Unicorns faced a setback right at the start as opener Finn Allen was dismissed on the first ball. However, Sanjay Krishnamurthi (79* off 42 balls) and Josh Inglis (45 off 17 balls) stood tall as they raced to a rapid 77-run partnership in just 30 balls.
In the death overs, Sanjay Krishnamurthi and Hassan Khan went absolutely berserk as they scored 55 runs in 22 balls and gave an excellent win to the Unicorns.
#1 Steve Smith
Captain Steve Smith's exceptional 88 as an opener powered Washington Freedom to a victory over Pat Cummins' San Francisco Unicorns in the final of the MLC. With Ricky Ponting as head coach, Smith paired with Travis Head at the top of the order and this combination laid the foundation for the franchise's surge in the tournament.
Smith showcased his intent when he hit consecutive sixes off Carmi le Roux in the ninth over - he got to his fifty in just 34 deliveries. He continued his dominance and went after Juanoy Drysdale in the 13th over and consistently found the boundaries. He was finally dismissed by Cummins in the 17th over, but by then, he had put his side in the driver’s seat.