Mitchell Owen's Five-Wicket Haul Dethrones Unicorns as Washington Freedom Clinch Victory in MLC 2025

The San Francisco Unicorns' previously unblemished record in MLC 2025 suffered a setback as the Washington Freedom secured a 12-run victory in Dallas. Despite the loss, the Unicorns maintain their top position in the league standings, buoyed by a superior net run rate. The star of the show was undoubtedly Mitchell Owen, whose exceptional five-wicket haul proved instrumental in the Freedom's triumph.

Chasing a target of 170, Unicorns captain Matthew Short continued his impressive form. However, he lacked substantial support from his teammates early on. Despite a promising start that saw the Unicorns reach 52 for 1 in the powerplay, the chase began to falter.

Short found some stability with Sanjay Krishnamurthi, but his dismissal in the 11th over for a well-played 67 triggered a collapse. With 73 runs still needed, the Unicorns' middle order was expected to take control, but Mitchell Owen had other plans.

Owen's impact was immediate. He removed Short in his first over and then followed up with the wickets of Hassan Khan and Romario Shepherd in consecutive deliveries. Contributions from Jack Edwards and Ian Holland further compounded the Unicorns' woes, as they slumped to 113 for 7 by the 16th over.

Owen sealed the victory in the 19th over, dismissing tailenders Haris Rauf and Brody Couch to finish with impressive figures of 5 for 17.

Despite a late surge from Jahmar Hamilton, who scored an unbeaten 31 off 18 balls, Saurabh Netravalkar held his nerve in the final over, conceding just 14 runs to secure the win for the Washington Freedom.

Earlier in the match, the Freedom faced their own challenges after electing to bat. A fiery spell from Xavier Bartlett saw them reduced to 13 for 3 within the first three overs. Bartlett accounted for the wickets of Owen, Rachin Ravindra, and Andries Gous.

Glenn Maxwell's early dismissal further compounded the Freedom's problems. However, Jack Edwards and Glenn Phillips provided much-needed stability with a 71-run partnership off 64 balls. Phillips then accelerated the scoring during a 31-run stand with Obus Pienaar. Following Phillips' departure for a 39-ball 58, Pienaar remained unbeaten on 37 off 16 balls, alongside Mukhtar Ahmed, to propel the Freedom to a competitive total.

Both teams now boast six wins from seven matches. However, the San Francisco Unicorns hold a significant advantage in net run rate (2.016) compared to the Washington Freedom (0.603).

Match Summary:

Washington Freedom: 169/6 in 20 overs (Glenn Phillips 58, Jack Edwards 42, Obus Pienaar 30*; Xavier Bartlett 32/4, Romario Shepherd 28/1)

San Francisco Unicorns: 157/9 in 20 overs (Matthew Short 67, Jahmar Hamilton 31*, Sanjay Krishnamurthi 24; Mitchell Owen 17/5, Ian Holland 23/1, Amila Aponso 23/1)