MLC 2025: Washington Freedom bolster top two chances by snapping Seattle Orcas' three-match winning run
, Saurabh Netravalkar, and Jack Edwards, who each claimed three wickets, restricting Orcas to just 82 runs before Freedom chased down the target in 9.2 overs.
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The match began with immediate impact as Netravalkar struck on the very first ball of the game. The early breakthrough set the tone for Freedom's dominant bowling display, with Maxwell and Netravalkar combining to take four wickets in the first four overs.
Seattle Orcas found themselves in serious trouble at 19 for 5 by the sixth over, with Maxwell claiming his third wicket. Shimron Hetmyer, who had been in strong form in previous matches, could only manage five runs before becoming one of Jack Edwards' victims in the ninth over.
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Heinrich Klaasen emerged as the lone fighter for the Orcas, scoring 48 runs off 39 balls. However, he received no support from his teammates, as all other batters failed to reach double digits. The Orcas' innings concluded in the 18th over with a total of 82, marking their third-lowest score in MLC history.
Freedom's chase was led by Rachin Ravindra, who launched an aggressive assault on the Orcas' bowlers. He targeted Gerald Coetzee, Harmeet Singh, and Sikandar Raza in the opening three overs, setting the tone for a quick chase.
The Orcas had opportunities to dismiss Ravindra but failed to capitalize. Aaron Jones dropped him at cover off Coetzee's bowling, and Raza couldn't hold onto a return catch in the following over. These missed chances proved costly as Freedom reached 50 for 1 by the end of the PowerPlay.
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Mukhtar Ahmed and Ravindra accelerated the scoring rate further, particularly in the eighth over against Coetzee, which yielded 16 runs. Although Jessy Singh managed to dismiss Ravindra in the ninth over, Freedom completed the chase shortly after, finishing at 86 for 2.
Brief Scores: Seattle Orcas 82 in 17.4 overs
(Heinrich Klaasen 48; Glenn Maxwell 3-12, Saurabh Netravalkar 3-13, Jack Edwards 3-19)
lost to Washington Freedom 86/2 in 9.2 overs
(Mukhtar Ahmed 36*, Rachin Ravindra 32)
by 8 wickets.
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