Andre Fletcher’s explosive century lit up the stage, but it was Washington Freedom who walked away with the points in a nail-biting final-ball finish, chasing down 214 to defeat Los Angeles Knight Riders in one of the most thrilling contests of the 2025 Major League Cricket (MLC) season.
Fletcher smashed a scintillating 104 off 60 deliveries, featuring seven fours and six sixes, in a dominant 130-run opening stand with Unmukt Chand. Yet, despite posting a formidable 213/4—Knight Riders’ highest total of the season—it wasn’t enough to contain a confident Freedom side that pulled off their second consecutive high-octane chase.
Freedom’s reply began with a bang, thanks to Mitchell Owen’s explosive 16-ball 43, including three boundaries and four sixes. His blitz, along with Rachin Ravindra’s 18 off 12, powered Freedom to 73/1 by the end of the powerplay—surpassing Knight Riders’ own strong start of 67/0.
Andries Gous kept the tempo going with a measured 31, before Glenn Maxwell took over, hammering a 23-ball 42 studded with two fours and three sixes. However, a double-strike from Tanveer Sangha in the 14th over removed Maxwell and Jack Edwards, tilting the game momentarily in Knight Riders’ favor.
But Glenn Phillips stood tall in the pressure moment. His composed, unbeaten 33 off 23 guided Freedom through the tense final stretch. Requiring just seven runs off the last over, Freedom stumbled briefly as Andre Russell—also a key contributor with 30* off 13 and three dot balls in the 20th over—brought the equation down to two runs off two deliveries. Obus Pienaar and Phillips held their nerve, collecting singles off the final two balls to seal a dramatic win.
Earlier, Fletcher’s century had given Knight Riders a dream platform. After racing to his ton in the 18th over, he made the rare decision to retire out voluntarily, allowing Russell and Sherfane Rutherford (20 off 11) to finish the innings with momentum. Chand’s 41 off 30, while steady, lacked the aggression seen across the rest of the innings and might have cost a few crucial runs during the middle phase.
The win pushes Washington Freedom to second on the MLC table, reaffirming their credentials as title contenders. The Knight Riders, despite their season-best performance with the bat, remain in fifth place and are left to rue missed opportunities in the field and a few nervy moments in the death overs.