Washington Freedom vs MI New York, Eliminator (3v4), Major League Cricket 2026 - CommentaryWAF vs MINY, Eliminator (3v4), Major League Cricket 2026 - Commentary

A record 51 sixes were hit tonight, and we saw an unbelievable run chase from Washington Freedom. They now move on to the Challenger, where they will take on San Francisco Unicorns, who earlier today went down to Los Angeles Knight Riders in the Qualifier. Meanwhile, MI New York's campaign comes to an end as they are knocked out. We will be back here tomorrow for the Challenger, where we will find out who joins the Knight Riders in the grand final. That's all from us for now. We will see you tomorrow. Goodbye and cheers!

Steven Smith | WF captain: From ball one, he (Andries Gous) just came out and felt like he didn't miss the middle of the bat the whole night. And everything just kept flying over the rope. Had the best seat in the house up there. And yeah, it was a wonderful win. Obviously, 260, chasing that down. A lot's got to go right. We obviously got off to a little bit of a shaky start. And then the ball just started to hit the middle of both of our bats. And, yeah, fortunately, they kept going over the rope. And we gave ourselves a chance at the back end and tried to keep the rate around 14, knowing two good hits an over, and you're on the right path. So, worked out nicely. [On the message to the team during the innings break] No, you just got to trust the boys and go out and play. There wasn't much said. It was just go out and play the game, and a lot's got to go right, as I said. And fortunately, we were able to hit the middle of the bat enough tonight. I think it was a record for the amount of sixes in a game of cricket. So, yeah, balls flying everywhere. Got a little bit wet at the back end, so there was a little bit of dew, and it started to skid on a bit more. It was a good chase. [How will you remember this night?] It was pretty special. It was a great partnership, obviously. And to chase down 260 any time, that's a special achievement. So, we'll soak it up tonight, come back tomorrow for another big game, and hopefully put on another show.

Andries Gous | Player of the Match: It's just the belief we have in each other, Ricky and Hopsey and everybody. In sports, the belief that they have in me and this whole team, it's just really special. [Did the 96 in the previous game serve as added motivation to get these runs tonight?] 100%, on a personal note, I would have loved to be the first guy to get a 100 from USA. And then chasing 260 is always special if you can get that done. So yeah, it's just an unbelievable game, I think, for everyone out here. [When did you actually believe you could win this?] By over 7 or 8, the rate just kept staying at 14, and the wicket just started skidding on a little bit. And I said to Smudge, 'we might be in,' and he's just like, 'we're definitely in it, yeah.' So yeah, very happy with that.

Nicholas Pooran | MINY captain: Congratulations to Washington, batted superbly. [On scoring the fastest MLC hundred] Yeah, that doesn't matter. Honestly, it doesn't matter when you lose the game. It's a tough one to swallow. [Where do you think it went wrong for you guys?] Guys can bat well, teams can bat well, guys can bowl well, but one thing we really have control over is our fielding. Dropped a few chances and missed a run-out there, quality players, and it's definitely gonna hurt us here in Oakland. Obviously, a good wicket, small venue, dew around. Need to take our chances and that's the most disappointing part for us, and we all have to take responsibility for that. [On this season] Yeah, it wasn't meant to be. We won five out of ten games in the group stage and we had to play extremely well in the playoff. I felt that we scored 260, which is really good, but sometimes you get what you deserve, it wasn't meant to be. Well done to Washington in the final, they obviously deserve to get to the next round. We paid the price for indiscipline.

After Nicholas Pooran's breathtaking 106 off just 33 balls powered MINY to a daunting 266, WF lost two wickets inside the first three overs, and it looked like the game was heading towards a comfortable MINY victory. But that's when Steven Smith and Andries Gous took complete control, producing a sensational counterattack that turned the match on its head. Steven Smith slammed an unbeaten 110 off 48 balls, while Andries Gous smashed 132 off 52 as the pair put on 241 runs off just 89 deliveries. From overs 13 to 15, Smith and Gous plundered 81 runs. MINY kept dropping catches, their shoulders began to drop, and they looked completely clueless as Smith and Gous took the game away from them.

22:29 Local Time, 05:29 GMT, 10:59 IST: Unbelievable scenes at Oakland! Absolute madness! What an extraordinary game we have witnessed. Washington Freedom have produced a run chase for the ages and pulled off one of the most memorable wins in the history of this format. They have chased down a target of 267 to keep their quest for a second MLC title alive, and they have done it with eight balls to spare. MI New York are out of the tournament and they have only themselves to blame. They put down far too many chances in the field, but that should take nothing away from the brilliance of Steve Smith and Andries Gous.

Faisal Khan Ahmadzai to Nikhil Chaudhary, THATS OUT!! Caught!!