Mitchell Owen’s all-round display powers Washington Freedom to third consecutive victory in MLC 2025
Mitchell Owen delivered an outstanding all-round performance to guide defending champions Washington Freedom to a thrilling win over MI New York in the Cognizant Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 encounter at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on Saturday.
Opting to bowl first, the Freedom bowlers picked up wickets at crucial intervals to restrict MI New York to 188/4 in their 20 overs.
Owen was the standout bowler for the reigning MLC champions as he finished with figures of 1/29 in his four overs. Apart from Owen, Ian Holland and captain Glenn Maxwell chipped in with one scalp each.
Later, Owen hammered 60 off just 26 balls, along with match-winning contributions from Mark Chapman (45*) and Jack Edwards (30), to help us chase down the target in 19.2 overs.
After registering our third consecutive win, we now have six points from four games and are placed third in the MLC 2025 standings.
Earlier, Mitchell Owen provided us with the first breakthrough as he dismissed Monank Patel to end their 70-run opening partnership in the seventh over.
After Monank’s dismissal, wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock and skipper Nicholas Pooran added 44 runs for the second wicket for MI New York. Later, in the 12th over, Ian Holland brought us right back into the game as he removed de Kock.
Captain Glenn Maxwell soon joined the party as he bagged the huge wicket of Pooran to reduce MI New York to 147/3 in the 16th over.
Rachin Ravindra later inflicted a brilliant run-out to send Kieron Pollard back to the pavilion as our bowlers helped us restrict MI New York to 188/4 in their allotted overs.
Chasing 189, Owen slammed Trent Boult for a boundary off the very first ball, while Ravindra smashed him for back-to-back fours to amass 14 runs in the opening over.
In the following over, Owen clobbered Rushil Ugarkar for three sixes and a four to accumulate 22 runs.
Our blazing 45-run opening stand came to an end in the third over as Ravindra departed.
Wicketkeeper-batter Andries Gous and Owen continued the momentum for us with some exquisite shots. However, we lost Gous after a quick-fire 29-run partnership.
At the other end, Owen hit Boult for a four to notch up his fifty off just 22 balls in the seventh over. Owen was later dismissed after a sensational 26-ball 60, laced with five fours and five maximums.
Mark Chapman and Jack Edwards then stitched a 41-run stand for the fourth wicket to put us in a commanding position. Edwards later fell after a well-made 30 off 23 balls in the 14th over.
Captain Maxwell took little time to settle as he smacked two sixes and one four before he was dismissed for a 5-ball 16.
However, we lost some momentum in the chase as Obus Pienaar and Mukhtar Ahmed fell in quick succession.
In the final few overs, Chapman held his nerve as he remained unbeaten on 45 to guide us to a two-wicket win in Dallas.
For his all-round display, Owen bagged the Player of the Match award at Grand Prairie Stadium.
After securing our third successive victory, we will aim to continue the winning streak against the Texas Super Kings in Dallas on Sunday.
MI New York vs Washington Freedom, MLC 2025, brief scores: MINY 188/4 in 20 overs (Quinton de Kock 55, Michael Bracewell 42 not out; Mitchell Owen 1/29) lost to WF 189/8 in 19.2 overs (Mitchell Owen 60, Mark Chapman 45 not out; Naveen-ul-Haq 2/28) by 2 wickets.
