Date
Friday, Jul 17, 2026
Start Time
1:30 AM GMT • 6:30 PM Local
Format
T20 • league
Toss
San Francisco Unicorns won toss & elected to bowling first
Result
Washington Freedom won by 7 runs
Live Stats
11.55
Current Run Rate
239
Target
73 (31b)
Partnership
Recent Overs
1
1
1
1
2
1
6
4
2
1
0
1
Last Wicket
Hammad Azam c Nikhil Chaudhary b Ben Dwarshuis 7(6) - 158/6 in 14.5 ov.
Recent Performance
Last 5 overs
71/0
Last 3 overs
40/0
Player of the Match
Andries Gous
Player of the Match
SFU
SFU — Innings 2
231-6
Batters at crease
Batter
R
B
4s6sSR
Matthew Short batting
121
56
11
8
216.1
Xavier Bartlett batting
28
13
0
3
215.4
Bowlers
BowlerOMRWEcon
Ben Dwarshuis
4
0
44
2
11.00
Saurabh Netravalkar Bowling
4
0
35
1
8.75
Mitchell Owen
4
0
57
1
14.25
That's all from another high-scoring contest. Freedom will meet the Knight Riders in the big final in a couple of days. We'll be there nice and early to bring you all the action. Until then, it's goodbye!
Smith | Freedom captain: Tired. Looking forward to a rest tomorrow before we go again. We did a great job defending out there. Outfield got wet and it was skidding on. Hell of an effort. Saurabh - that 19th over - was as good an over I've seen at the death in T20 cricket. Didn't miss. Bowled six yorkers and nailed everyone of them. Deserves a lot of credit for that. First ball was always going to be a yorker. Then decided from there. Talked about slow and wide, and I was just saying "just go to the hole again" and he nailed it. I was like "you're nailing it, might as well keep going". He did such a great job. It's just a great franchise to be involved in. We enjoy each other's company and success. It's tough captaining when the ball is flying around like it is. Trying to come up with different ways to defend and get guys out. (is Ponting okay?) He's good. I think the owner might've had an heart attack (laughs).
Gous | Player of the Match: I genuinely love this team. I want to do well for our owner, do well for our coaches. The team is close to my heart and that's where all the motivation comes from. We know the wicket - how it's going to play at night. Got to keep pressing and putting them under pressure. Always nice playing finals. Our third one now. Hopefully we can go one step further than last year and win it again. Obviously feels like you have dropped the whole tournament in that moment (his missed run out). Our owner nearly had a heart attack there. Luckily it worked out.
Matt Short | Unicorns captain: Pretty disappointing couple of days. Fortunate enough to be able to come here today with a second chance. Probably got ourselves into a position to win both games but disappointing to finish the same way. It's pretty raw, pretty disappointing. You think anything is possible with the shorter boundaries. Conditions were in our favour as well. Obviously it was a big score to chase, couldn't get there in the end. Pretty special to make the finals (playoffs) in front of our home fans. Thank you to all the supporters that have come tonight.
22:21 Local Time, 05:21 GMT, 10:51 IST: Wow what a game. Another run-fest here in Oakland and Freedom do just enough to hold on. 238 was the total they had to defend, and they've done it by 7 runs. Superb last couple of overs from Netravalkar and Owen to close it off. Had come down to 29 off 12, and they sealed the deal with some good execution of plans, despite a couple of errors. For Matt Short and the Unicorns, it's another heartbreaking loss, having fallen short by a similar margin in the Qualifier as well. They fail to make it to the final after topping the league table. The target was certainly not out of reach, but the captain - who smashed an unbeaten 121 - didn't get much support at the other end. Couple of standout performances with the ball from Netravalkar and Chaudhary from the Freedom. And full credit to Owen for the way he bounced back after conceding 28 in his first over.
19.6
Mitchell Owen to Xavier Bartlett, 1 run, a lovely yorker to finish it off. Well done, Mitchell Owen! It's squeezed down to long-on and there's palpable relief in the Freedom camp. Maxwell gives Owen a big hug and his other teammates follow suit. Pump of the fists from Smith. They're through to the final after an absolute nailbiter here in Oakland!
19.5
Mitchell Owen to Xavier Bartlett, no run, swing and a miss, and that should be it. Full and wide, angling away from round the wicket, Bartlett fails to connect and it's beyond them now. Gous is a relieved man and has a smile on his face
19.4
Mitchell Owen to Matthew Short, 1 run, well bowled. Keeps it full and wide, Short mistimes it to long-off
19.3
Mitchell Owen to Matthew Short, 2 runs, Gous has made a mess of what should've been a straightforward run out! Pressure pressure! Owen nails the wide yorker, it's squeezed down to long-off and they go for a non-existent second run. Throw comes in to the keeper, Short is well short but Gous breaks the stumps before gathering the ball. Oh wait, one bail is still left on, and even then he has missed it. Has a swipe at the stumps but misses on the first attempt. Short is able to dive into the crease
19.2
Mitchell Owen to Matthew Short, FOUR, steps across the stumps, gets a low full toss and glances it fine past the fielder in the ring. Owen with his hands on the hip. He'll have to change his plan and go wide outside off
19.1
Mitchell Owen to Matthew Short, SIX, he hasn't started well. Good length on the pads from round the wicket, Short shimmies down and whips it away into the stands behind square
Mitchell Owen [3.0-0-43-1] is back into the attack
Unicorns need 22 off the final over which will be bowled by Owen. His first over had disappeared for 28 but he came back well after that. Let's see how he goes.
18.6
Saurabh Netravalkar to Matthew Short, 1 run, low full toss just outside off, driven to long-off, what an over - just 7 off it!
18.5
Saurabh Netravalkar to Matthew Short, 2 runs, diving stop from Owen in the deep! Full delivery down leg, Short flicks it in the air but hasn't timed it. Lands well short of the boundary behind square
18.4
Saurabh Netravalkar to Xavier Bartlett, 1 run, gets the yorker almost right and it's drilled to long-on, all the way along the ground
18.3
Saurabh Netravalkar to Matthew Short, 1 run, goes for the yorker, offers a low full toss and Short misses out. He swings hard but gets it off the toe-end to deep midwicket
18.2
Saurabh Netravalkar to Xavier Bartlett, 1 run, yorker on leg, well bowled, and it's squeezed through midwicket
18.1
Saurabh Netravalkar to Matthew Short, 1 run, very full, Short can't get under it as he swipes it across the line through midwicket. Only a single to the deep
17.6
Ben Dwarshuis to Matthew Short, 1 run, yorker outside off, squeezed into the cover region