MLC 2025
TSK’s big total was largely down to Donovan Ferreira’s whirlwind 37 off 9 balls © Sportzpics
Texas Super Kings managed to enter the top two following an excellent win over fellow contenders Washington Freedom in a rain-affected game in Lauderhill. TSK managed to post 87/2 in their five overs – the second highest total in a five-over game – and then went on to defend it with ease to register a 43-run win that now has the top three teams on 12 points each with two games left for all of them.
With Faf du Plessis out of the contest due to a minor injury, Marcus Stoinis led TSK and opened the batting alongside Daryl Mitchell. The innings got off to a jittery start for the men in yellow as Stoinis edged his second ball behind with his side managing just five runs in the first over. Shubham Ranjane then struck two sixes in the next over but Mitchell struggled to get going and was retired out at the end of the third over with TSK on 34/1.
That move proved to be a masterstroke as TSK scored 53 runs off the final 12 deliveries as Donovan Ferreira and Ranjane put on an impressive display. Ranjane hit two fours and a six in the penultimate over in which Ferreira also cleared the ropes once. But it was in the final over where the South African launched himself by taking on Mitchell Owen for a hat-trick of sixes before closing out the innings with another big one to race to 37* off just 9 balls.
Even though Rachin Ravindra hit a four and a six to begin with in the run chase, the task turned extremely difficult when Nandre Burger removed the New Zealander and Glenn Maxwell off consecutive deliveries. Akeal Hosein then bowled a terrific over that began with a six but finished with five dot balls including a wicket. Noor Ahmed and Hosein then finished proceedings by sending down tidy overs as Freedom ended up scoring only half the runs their opponents made on the night.
Brief scores: Texas Super Kings 87/2 in 5 overs (Shubham Ranjane 39*, Donovan Ferreira 37*) beat Washington Freedom 44/4 in 5 overs (Nandre Burger 2/12) by 43 runs – Match reduced to 5 overs per side due to rain
© Cricbuzz
