Washington Freedom crush LA Knight Riders as Smith anchors an easy MLC chase
The Los Angeles Knight Riders were bowled out for 108 and Steven Smith’s unbeaten 40 saw Washington Freedom home with 17 balls to spare in Pomona.
Jul 2, 2026
Washington Freedom made short work of the Los Angeles Knight Riders in Major League Cricket, bowling the hosts out for 108 and knocking off the runs with 17 balls to spare for a six-wicket win. Steven Smith held the chase together with an unbeaten 40, and the result was rarely in doubt once Washington’s attack had done its job.
The bowlers set it up
The match was the first to be played at the Knight Riders Cricket Ground in Pomona, and the new surface had plenty for the bowlers. Los Angeles never got going with the bat, losing wickets at regular intervals and folding for 108 inside their 20 overs. Saurabh Netravalkar’s seam and Mitchell Owen’s medium pace did most of the damage, and none of the home batters could build the kind of partnership that might have set Washington a testing target.
Smith steers the chase
A target of 109 was never likely to trouble a batting line-up this deep. Mark Chapman got Washington moving with 34 before he was caught behind, and from there Smith took control, reading the pitch and the situation and picking off the runs without any fuss. He finished on 40 not out, with Lahiru Milantha alongside him at the end, as Washington reached 110 for 4 in 17.1 overs.
The manner of the win matters as much as the two points. A chase completed with 17 balls in hand is a healthy boost to net run rate, the kind of margin that can decide who makes the playoffs when the league table tightens up. Washington Freedom, the 2024 champions, look every bit a side building towards the business end of this tournament.