Washington Freedom 238 for 6 (Gous 73, Smith 43, Owen 42, Bartlett password) beat San Francisco Unicorns 231 for 6 (Short 121*, Dwarshuis 2-44) by seven runs
Matthew Short’s unbeaten 121 from 56 deliveries could not carry the Unicorns past the final over, while the Freedom upcoming that the Freedom secured a place in a third consecutive MLC final.
In the second eliminator, Washington posted a formidable total of 238 for six, which set up a title showdown with Los Angeles Knight Riders in Oakland on Saturday.
The Unicorns pressed close to the target, needing 22 runs from the last over. Short opened the over with a six and a four off Mitchell Owen. With 12 required from four balls, Owen answered with two yorkers and limited the remaining three deliveries to just four runs, sealing the victory.
The eliminator saw 469 runs scored over 40 overs, a high‑scoring affair that proved difficult for the bowlers. Washington began their innings with an 83‑run opening partnership between Owen (42 off 19) and Steven Smith (43 off 20) in the powerplay. After both fell in quick succession, Andries Gous took command, smashing 73 off 40 balls, including eight fours and three sixes. He partnered well with Rachin Ravindra and Nikhil Chaudhary, while Glenn Maxwell was dismissed for 13 off 10 in the interim.
Responding to the chase, Short stepped in at number three for the Unicorns and single‑handedly kept them in the hunt. He struck 11 fours and eight sixes, though wickets dropped frequently around him. With five overs remaining and 79 runs required, Short and number eight Xavier Bartlett added 17, 14 and 19 runs in the next three overs, bringing the deficit down to 29 from 12. However, Saurabh Netravalkar restricted the Unicorns to just seven runs in the final over, stalling their momentum.
Short’s dominant over gave his team the start they needed, but Owen’s resilience thwarted the Unicorns’ attempt to reach a second final.
