It was a wonderful campaign for Washington Freedom in Major League Cricket as we won our maiden title in the 2024 season.
We were the first team to qualify for the Playoffs of MLC 2024 and also topped the points table after the league phase, with 11 points from seven games. It was a clinical performance as we won both our Qualifier and Championship matches to cap off a memorable season.
Let’s take a look at some of the major highlights for the Freedom squad this season.
The Aussie Flavour
Head coach Ricky Ponting and assistant coach Cameron White took over the coaching duties at the start of the season. The signings of captain Steve Smith, Travis Head, and Glenn Maxwell, along with the coaching duo, brought the competitive edge that Australia possesses in international cricket.
The results were evident as the Aussies contributed significantly to our campaign, and we won seven out of nine matches in the entire season, with one match being abandoned due to rain.
Consistent Performances
Freedom showed consistency right from the get-go, making it to the Playoffs in both seasons. We finished third in the points table in MLC 2023 before losing to MI New York in the Eliminator.
In MLC 2024, we took a step forward by finishing at the top of the points table and won the Championship against the San Francisco Unicorns, demonstrating a marked improvement in our performance.
Perfect start in the league stage
We had an excellent start to our MLC 2024 campaign, winning 5 of our first six matches in the league phase, with one match being abandoned due to rain. This helped us race off the blocks quickly, giving us the winning momentum and making us the first team to qualify for the Playoffs.
The convincing margins of our victories also ensured that we finished at the top of the points table with a better net run rate, although the San Francisco Unicorns also finished level on points with us. The top-two finish also gave us the chance to directly qualify for the Championship match by winning the Qualifier.
Smith and Head: The Run Machines
Steve Smith and Travis Head were in top form in MLC 2024, scoring more than half of our total runs this season. A majority of our large wins owed to the brilliant starts provided by the opening duo during the powerplay. Both batters had a breakthrough season this year finishing joint-second in the overall batting charts with 300-plus runs.
Smith amassed 336 runs from nine matches at an excellent average of 56.00 and a strike rate of 148.67 whereas Head also tallied 336 runs from as many matches at an average of 48.00 and an astonishing strike rate of 173.19.
Travis Head’s 5-consecutive fifties
Travis Head had a dream debut season in Major League Cricket with the Freedom squad. Though the southpaw started slowly getting a meagre 33 runs from his first three matches, his next five matches produced a mammoth 294 runs, including five fifties, at a mind-boggling average of 73.50 and a strike rate of 176.05.
In the process, Head also created a breathtaking record in MLC, a run of five consecutive fifties, a feat which no batter has managed in the tournament. The last of those knocks saw him smash an unbeaten 77 off just 44 balls against the Unicorns in the Qualifier, Head’s highest score in the MLC.
Travis Head, deservedly, finished as the Player of the Tournament in our victorious MLC 2024 campaign.
Bowling in partnership
Saurabh Netravalkar finished as the highest wicket-taker in MLC 2024 with 15 wickets from only seven matches at an average of 13.46 and a strike rate of 10.53. But what impressed more was the performance of the supporting cast consisting of Rachin Ravindra, Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson and Glenn Maxwell, all finishing with a tally of 10 or more wickets.
Ravindra’s left-arm spin accounted for 12 wickets from six innings at an unbelievable average of 6.08 and a strike rate of 7.58. The Kiwi took two four-wicket hauls and his 4/11 against the Unicorns in the Qualifier were the best bowling figures, both in his T20 career as well as in MLC 2024.
Marco Jansen was impressive with the new ball providing crucial breakthroughs for us throughout the competition. He ended the MLC 2024 with 11 wickets from eight matches striking under every 17 balls he bowled.
Jansen’s three wickets in both the Qualifier as well as the Championship prevented the Unicorns’ big-hitting top order from breaking free and restricted them to modest totals.
Glenn Maxwell and Lockie Ferguson also finished with 10 wickets each from eight and seven matches respectively to round off an excellent bowling performance for us this season.
Though Jasdeep Singh and Andrew Tye played only two matches for us in MLC 2024, they shone in the limited opportunities they had by picking up six and five wickets, respectively. Jasdeep finished as the Player of the Match in both matches he played during the season, with impressive three-wicket hauls in each.
The three-dimensional players
Glenn Maxwell and Rachin Ravindra provided depth and balance to the side with their multifaceted skill sets. Both players could change games with the bat, ball or with their fielding.
Apart from his bowling exploits, Maxwell accumulated 153 runs from five innings at an average of 38.25 and a sensational strike rate of 164.51. His game-changing knock of 54 off just 23 balls against the Unicorns in the Qualifier showcased his big-hitting prowess.
Ravindra scored 99 runs in the tournament at a strike rate of 137.50, his whirlwind knock of 31 off 14 balls, which included 20 runs from a Trent Boult over, against the MI New York being his best effort.
Both were gun fielders too, taking crucial catches and saving important runs.
