- June 13, 2025
SF vs WSF (1st Match) – Highlights
Major League Cricket 2025 launched with an explosive spectacle in Oakland, as the San Francisco Unicorns stormed to a thumping 123-run victory over Washington Freedom in the tournament opener. In a game that could only be described as a fireworks display masquerading as a cricket match, the night belonged to one man – Finn Allen. The New Zealand batter unleashed sheer mayhem with a blistering 151 off just 51 balls, sending the Freedom bowlers into full retreat and etching his name into MLC folklore.
San Francisco were asked to bat first and wasted no time in imposing themselves. Tim Seifert gave the innings an electric start with 18 off 10 balls before falling to Jack Edwards. But from there, it became the Finn Allen show. The Unicorns opener turned the Oakland night into his personal launchpad, blasting five fours and an astounding nineteen sixes in a jaw-dropping display of brute force and timing. At one stage, even the ball seemed tired of being hunted.
While Jake Fraser-McGurk and Cooper Connolly failed to fire, Sanjay Krishnamurthi provided valuable support with a quickfire 36 off 20 balls. Hassan Khan added the final flourish with a dashing 38* from 18, taking the Unicorns to a record-breaking 269 for 5 – the kind of total that makes even the most optimistic chaser sigh in defeat.
Washington Freedom, to their credit, came out swinging. Mitchell Owen played a breezy 39 off 20, and Rachin Ravindra looked in ominous touch with a dazzling 42 from just 17 balls. The pair raised hopes briefly, galloping to 80 in just over five overs. But once Ravindra fell to Liam Plunkett, the innings unraveled like a deck of cards in a wind tunnel.
Haris Rauf and Hassan Khan bowled with venom and purpose. Rauf finished with 3 for 30, his trademark toe-crushing yorkers silencing the middle order. Hassan Khan proved to be a surprise package with 3 for 38, snaring key wickets including Jack Edwards and Ian Holland. Carmi le Roux chipped in with two scalps as well, and Washington’s innings collapsed from 97 for 2 to 146 all out in 13.1 overs.
The margin of victory – a mammoth 123 runs – tells its own story. It was a complete demolition job by San Francisco, who laid down an early marker for the rest of the tournament. For Washington, the night began with promise but quickly spiraled into a blur of dropped jaws and lost wickets. Finn Allen was rightly named Player of the Match and also Cricinfo’s MVP, with a staggering 221.01 impact points. When a player nearly scores as many runs as the entire opposition, there’s little left to debate.
San Francisco Unicorns vs Washington Freedom Scoreboard
San Francisco Unicorns – 269/5 (20)
Washington Freedom – 146 (13.1/20)
Result – SF won by 123 runs
Player of the Match – Finn Allen
Finn Allen
SF vs WSF Playing Eleven
San Francisco Unicorns | Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Cooper Connolly, Hassan Khan, Corey Anderson (c), Liam Plunkett, Xavier Bartlett, Carmi le Roux, Haris Rauf |
Washington Freedom | Mitchell Owen, Rachin Ravindra, Jack Edwards, Glenn Maxwell (c), Glenn Phillips, Andries Gous (wk), Obus Pienaar, Mukhtar Ahmed, Ian Holland, Ben Sears, Saurabh Netravalkar |
Disclaimer: These Match highlights reflect the author’s insights and analysis. Readers are encouraged to consider the points discussed and form their own conclusions.
Visit JeetBuzz News to access our Highlights that are just for you and reminisce about all of your favorite cricket nostalgia moments while being thrilled by our solid Cricket Highlights updates. To ensure you never miss out, join in on the fun right away!
