Dwarshuis’ late blitz carries Washington Freedom past Texas Super Kings
Ben Dwarshuis’ unbeaten 38 off 16 balls carried Washington Freedom to a three-wicket win over Texas Super Kings, keeping their MLC playoff hopes alive.
Jul 12, 2026
Washington Freedom kept their Major League Cricket playoff hopes ticking over with a nervy three-wicket win over Texas Super Kings at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, getting home with two balls to spare thanks to a late cameo from Ben Dwarshuis.
Chasing 166, Washington looked to be drifting out of the game before Dwarshuis walked in and changed its shape. His unbeaten 38 came off just 16 balls, the kind of clean, low-risk hitting that turns a tight chase into a manageable one, and it earned him the player-of-the-match award on a night his side needed someone to grab the finish.
Texas let a strong position slip
The result will sting Texas more than the margin suggests. They had set themselves up well with the bat before falling away badly at the death, five wickets tumbling in the closing overs to leave them stranded on 165 when a total nearer 180 had looked on. Captain Faf du Plessis was blunt about it afterwards, admitting his side had got into a good position and then let it go in the back end of the innings.
A par score on that ground is rarely safe, and 165 always felt gettable if Washington kept wickets in hand. That they made hard work of it will not bother them much on a night when two points mattered more than the manner of getting them.
Dwarshuis holds his nerve
Steve Smith had given the chase an early platform with a brisk start at the top, but Washington lost their way in the middle overs and needed rescuing. Dwarshuis provided it, first in a stand of 42 with Obus Pienaar for the seventh wicket, Washington’s best for that position in a T20, and then alongside Marco Jansen at the finish. When the winning runs came with two balls left, it capped a chase that had looked anything but comfortable for long stretches.
The win nudges Washington back into the thick of the playoff race with the business end of the league season approaching. For Texas, it is a chance missed, and a reminder that a strong first 12 overs counts for little if the innings falls apart in the last eight.