Washington Freedom Wins MLC 2024 Championship

Washington Freedom clinched the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 championship with a commanding 96-run victory over the San Francisco Unicorns in Dallas. Led by stellar performances from Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell, Washington posted an imposing total of 207 for 5, with Smith scoring 88 off 52 balls and Maxwell contributing 40 off 22. The Unicorns struggled in their chase, collapsing to 111 all out, largely due to Marco Jansen and Rachin Ravindra, who took three wickets each. Washington's dominance throughout the season, including five group stage victories, was capped by this decisive win. Smith, who was overlooked for Australia's T20 World Cup squad, ended the season as the joint second-highest run-scorer with 336 runs at a strike rate of 148.67. The final underscored Washington's all-round excellence, both with the bat and ball, cementing their reputation as the top team of the season.