Steve Smith's Brilliance Seals MLC Title for Washington Freedom
Think you’ve seen every kind of cricket finale? The 2024 Major League Cricket final rewrote the script. On July 28 at Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas, Washington Freedom unleashed a cricketing masterclass, thrashing San Francisco Unicorns by a whopping 96 runs. It was loud, it was one-sided—and at the heart of the storm stood Australia’s Steve Smith, delivering a captain’s knock for the ages.
Smith, calm as ever, smashed 88 off just 52 balls. The stadium felt each boundary, each clever nudge, and Smith never looked rattled. He wasn’t alone—Glenn Maxwell provided just the chaos the Unicorns didn’t need, his quickfire 40 keeping the momentum stubbornly in Freedom’s favor. The duo made Unicorns’ bowlers look out of ideas, building a total that always felt out of reach for the other side.
Washington Freedom didn’t just ride on batting. When it came time for their bowlers to step in, Rachin Ravindra fired in a spell of 3 for 23 and Marco Jansen matched him with 3 for 28. The Unicorns’ chase simply fizzled out. Wickets fell regularly, scoreboard pressure piled up, and runs dried quicker than a drought. San Francisco, never really in the hunt, folded for just 111. It was dominance—right from ball one.
Freedom’s Road to the Title
Washington Freedom weren’t just a flash in the pan on final day. During the group stage, Freedom picked up five wins, beating some solid teams on their way to the top. In the playoff qualifier, they clashed with the same Unicorns and came out ahead. By the time the big match rolled around, Freedom looked like a well-oiled machine and the Unicorns were always on the back foot.
This win shouts out the impact of star Australian imports. The combination of Smith’s calm aggression, Maxwell’s unpredictability, and the overseas bowling firepower from the likes of Jansen and Ravindra kept Freedom ahead of the pack all season. The squad’s balance made them a tough nut to crack—if the batters didn’t get you, the bowlers surely would.
For U.S. cricket fans, this was the kind of showcase that gives the sport real credibility in new territory. Local supporters saw world-class skills, intensity, and a real sense of occasion. As MLC grows, performances like this—led by international stars and hungry local players—are only going to pull in bigger crowds.
With their first big trophy locked away and bragging rights secured, Washington Freedom have set a benchmark other MLC sides will be chasing hard. The blend of clean hitting, smart tactics, and ice-cool bowling proved too much for San Francisco's hopes of an upset. The final word? It’s official: MLC Final 2024 belonged to Washington Freedom—and to the fans who saw a new cricket powerhouse take shape in Texas.
