A composed chase led by Andries Gous and an excellent spell from Glenn Maxwell powered Washington Freedom to a six-wicket win over MI New York, sealing a top-two finish and a berth in Qualifier 1 of the 2025 Major League Cricket (MLC).Despite the defeat, MI New York also advanced to the playoffs, their vastly superior Net Run Rate keeping them ahead of the Seattle Orcas.

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After choosing to bat in a rain-affected match that was reduced to 18 overs per side, MI New York’s reshuffled lineup struggled for fluency. Monank Patel fell early, and Nicholas Pooran’s quickfire start — including two crisp boundaries — ended abruptly. First, Glenn Maxwell struck twice in a burst, and Glenn Phillips followed suit with a double-wicket over of his own.

The pitch assisted spin with turn and variable bounce, and Washington’s attack used it to full effect.

Amid the collapse, debutant Kunwarjeet Singh impressed with a composed 33 on his T20 debut, showcasing maturity against spin. But once he fell to Phillips, the innings lost steam. Sunny Patel and Heath Richards added some lower-order resistance, guiding MI New York past 100 to finish on 112/8. Maxwell returned figures of 3/29, while Phillips was tidy and incisive with 2/4 in his only over.

Washington’s chase began with the early loss of Mitch Owen, and Rachin Ravindra’s departure followed soon after. But Mark Chapman’s brisk 27 off 18 balls settled nerves. Though he and Maxwell fell in quick succession, Gous took command, striking three boundaries in the 14th over to break the back of the chase. He remained unbeaten on 46 from 34 balls, calmly steering his team home with 18 balls to spare.

For Washington, the win ensured a top-two finish and a direct path to Qualifier 1 — a reward for consistent performances throughout the season. MI New York, meanwhile, completed the league stage in fourth place, their playoff hopes never really threatened due to a healthy NRR cushion over the Orcas. Their selection experiment may not have earned them a win, but it offered valuable exposure to help strengthen the bench heading into the playoff games.Brief ScoresMINY: 112/8 in 18 overs (Kunwarjeet Singh 33, Sunny Patel 16, Heath Richards 16; Glenn Maxwell 3/29, Glenn Phillips 2/4)WF: 113/4 in 15 overs (Andries Gous 46*, Mark Chapman 27, Glenn Phillips 14; Tristan Luus 2/39)