Stunning Short century in vain as Smith’s Freedom reach final

Another high-scoring thriller in Oakland sees Steve Smith’s Washington progress to the MLC final

Matt Short produced one of the innings of the Major League Cricket season, but Washington Freedom survived a fierce late scare to beat San Francisco Unicorns by seven runs in another high-scoring thriller to book their place in the tournament final.

After being sent in, Washington piled on a daunting 6-238 from their 20 overs, with Andries Gous leading the charge once more in a blistering 73 from 40 balls.

Just a day after blasting the fastest century of his career, Steve Smith again set the tone up top with a rapid 43 off 20 deliveries, with opening partner Mitch Owen blasting five sixes in his 19-ball 42 as the pair put on 83 for the first wicket.

Contributions from Rachin Ravindra (28 off 14), Nikhil Chaudhary (20no off 13) and Ben Dwarshuis (11 off 4) ensured the San Francisco attack were under the pump for their entire 20 overs.

Gous, who a day earlier became the first local United States player to score an MLC century, was at his destructive best, peppering the Oakland Coliseum boundary with eight fours and three sixes.

Queenslander Xavier Bartlett was the pick of the San Francisco bowlers with 3-36 from his four overs.

After finishing the regular season on top of the standings but losing the Qualifier final the previous day, San Francisco’s hopes of reaching the decider quickly became centred on Australian allrounder Short when they lost both openers Lhuan-dre Pretorius (18) and Finn Allen (14) in the Powerplay.

The right-hander hammered a T20 career-best unbeaten 121 from just 56 balls, striking 11 fours and eight sixes as he almost single-handedly dragged the Unicorns to an unlikely victory.

Short maintained the required rate while wickets fell around him to keep Washington skipper Smith on edge deep into the final over. His unbroken seventh-wicket partnership of 73 with Bartlett gave the Unicorns belief after they had slumped to 6-158 in the 15th over.

Needing 22 from the final over, victory appeared within reach when Short launched a six and four from the first two Owen deliveries to reduce the equation to 12 off four balls.

But Washington allrounder Owen held his nerve, nailing two yorkers in the final four deliveries to ensure Short’s heroic captain’s knock ended in defeat.

“A pretty disappointing couple of days,” Short said post-match. “We probably got ourselves into a position to win both of those games.

“It was a big score to chase (today), but we couldn’t get there in the end.”

San Francisco closed on 6-231 in another high-scoring affair that produced 469 runs in 40 overs, taking the Oakland venue’s tally to a staggering 1,005 runs in its past two matches.

The result sees the Ricky Ponting-coached Freedom progress to Saturday’s final (Sunday AEST) where they will face Los Angeles Knight Riders.