The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
That brings us us to the end of our coverage for this MLC encounter. Lots of cricketing action coming up through the rest of the day. Do join us for the match and everything latest related on sports. For now this is me (Arya Sekhar Chakraborty) signing off also on behalf of my fellow commentator Probuddha.
Steve Smith (Washington Freedom captain): Yeah it was hard fought in the end. Our top order didnt quite do the job but Hiru and Obus batted brilliantly. The required rate was never a worry which worked in our favour. It was quite a slow low wicket. All our bowlers bowled brilliantly. Netravalkar has been great for us. Marco took wicket and Lockie Ferguson bashed away and did what he does. It was a great effort to restrict them to 124 a nice to get the job done in the end. Trying to get off to a good start. We were scoring at a good rate but losing wickets as well. If someone from the top order could have scored 60-70 it would have been much easier but Obus and Hiru got the job done. We have played two rain affected games where we haven't gone past the powerplay so it was good some game time.
Heinrich Klaasen (Seattle Orcas captain): I think we lost the game at the back end with the bat. We were 20 runs short and that made a big difference. We bowled brilliantly taking those wickets but we didn't have enough on the board. Yeah I think looking at the back end we are lacking that one guy. We need that one player to come off that extra bit on the board to give that extra help to the bowlers. I think I can be proud of the bowlers. Needed to get the big players out and they did that cheaply. 140 would have been a good score. The wicket is good with the fourth game. It's been fantastic and hopefully we get more.
Lockie Ferguson (Most Valuable Player of the Match): Look I think it has been a great start to the campaign for the group. The bowling unit has done well. It was disappointing to not get a full game in North Carolina. However, it was nice to get a full 40 overs this time. With a short campaign we need to be on our toes. I just try and
Washington Freedom won by 5 wickets (with 10 deliveries to spare)
The Washington Freedom were tested in the run chase but a brilliant partnership between Lahiru Milantha and Obus Pienaar ensured they chased down the target of 125 pretty comfortably in the end. The Seattle Orcas bagged wickets at regular intervals and remained in the game for till the 17th over but the partnership was too good, taking Freedom over the finish line.
The Orcas got off to a perfect start with Imad Wasim removing the dangerous Travis Head on the second delivery of the over. Rachin Ravindra playing his first MLC game came out with a positive frame of mind and provided the impetus in the powerplay. Ravindra struck some exquisite shots and looked at complete ease of proceedings.
He smashed three fours and two sixes en route to a quickfire 26 off 16 deliveries. Imad Wasim started off with a wicket maiden but was belted for 18 runs in his second over. However just when Ravindra looked like taking the game from the Orcas, Nandre Burger provided the breakthrough and that was the opening the Orcas were looking for. Cameron Gannon castled Steve Smith with a slower delivery which an absolute stunning one-handed catch from Imad Wasim accounted for Mukhtar Ahmed.
Glenn Maxwell got off the mark with a boundary but perished soon after as he tried to take on Harmeet Singh. From there on it was Lahiru Milantha and Obus Pienaar who managed to get the job done. They batted sensibly and kept rotating the strike to keep decreasing the required runs. It started getting easier and eventually they managed to finish the match with some lusty blows. Nandre Burger was the pick of the bowlers for the Seattle Orcas, bagging a couple of wickets.
Rachin Ravindra (Washington Freedom): I would say the conditions were right with the new ball. I though of taking it down in the powerplay. Things worked out well for us in the end. Imad bowled a maiden in the first over and I was thinking that I cannot allow him to settle down. The match was in my favour and I took my chances. I just try and learn from these players (Smith, Head and Maxwell). I just look at how they go about the preparations and deal wit the situations. Proud to be a part of this Freedom unit.
That seals it for the Washington Freedom. Things looked tricky when Maxwell departed but the partnership has ensured that Freedom reaches the target with 10 deliveries to spare. The duo of Milantha and Pienaar summed up the situation pretty quickly and knew how to approach the chase having lost half their side. They rotated the strike before finishing it off with a few big hits. Seattle Orcas were in the game but the target in the end was a bit too less.
18.2 Zaman Khan to Obus Pienaar, FOUR!!!! Full and outside the off stump. Pienaar moves away from the stumps and slices it over the infield on the off side for a boundary. With that the Washington Freedom win this game by five wickets and stay undefeated in the tournament.
18.2 Zaman Khan to Obus Pienaar, full toss and down the leg side. Wide signalled by the umpire.
18.1 Zaman Khan to Obus Pienaar, short ball at the middle and leg. Pienaar tucks it behind square on the leg side for a couple of runs.