MLC 2023: How did the international players fare in Washington Freedom vs Texas Super Kings, Match 5?

The fifth match of the 2023 Major League Cricket (MLC) between Washington Freedom (WAF) and Texas Super Kings (TSK) witnessed a scintillating battle at the Grand Prairie Ground in Dallas on July 16.

Opting to bat first, Freedom got off to a rollicking start with 30 runs in their first three overs. Andries Gous departed early while Mukhtar Ahmed struggled at the crease but added 44 for the second wicket with Matthew Short.

Moises Henriques and Short carried on and put on another 40-run stand but did not get the desired finish. Although Short with 80 off 50 almost got the bulk of runs, the rest of the batting unit struggled and scraped past the 160-run mark.

Some outstanding death bowling by Gerald Coetzee and Dwayne Bravo kept Washington Freedom at 163 for five in their 20 overs. Coetzee was the pick of the Super Kings bowlers with two for 26 in his spell. Santner, Bravo, and Mohsin picked up a wicket each.

Chasing 164 for the win, the Super Kings got off to a horrific start and were reduced to 50 for five in the ninth over. Santner and Bravo did the rebuilding before Santner departed for 22 in the 14th over. Bravo (76* off 39) took the mantle in his own hands and smashed the Freedom bowlers all across the park.

Bravo played a sensational hand, but TSK were unable to get over the finish line and succumbed to their first defeat of the tournament.

The second game of the day featured a rather one-sided affair between MI New York & Los Angeles Knight Riders. MI New York were in some trouble early on at the 12th-over mark when they lost half their side for just 77. Tim David emerged as the hero as he rescued MI New York by playing some dazzling shots at the fag end of the innings. His outrageous knock of 48(21) took his side to a defendable total of 155/8.

Los Angeles Knight Riders put up a disastrous show with the bat and lost too many wickets, which disrupted their momentum. As a result, they suffered a heavy defeat of 105 runs.

On that note, here's a look at how the international players performed in Match 5:

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Glenn Phillips (WAF)

Phillips did not get going with the bat as he perished after making a paltry contribution of 6(7). He was dismissed by Mohammad Mohsin in the 12th over of the innings after failing to nail a low full toss to perfection.

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Moises Henriques (WAF)

WAF skipper Moises Henriques made a sizeable contribution with the bat but not at an electrifying pace. He scored 21(24) at a strike rate of 87.5 and was eventually dismissed by Gerald Coetzee, who bowled a peach of a delivery to trap him on the pads.

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Marco Jansen (WAF)

Marco Jansen played a minor role with the bat, scoring 4(3) while remaining not out in the end. His major contribution came with the ball as he picked up the prized scalps of Devon Conway and Calvin Savage. He finished with outstanding figures of 2/31 in his four overs.

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Akeal Hosein (WAF)

Akeal Hosein did not get a chance to bat but was brilliant with the ball. He returned figures of 2/25 at an economy rate of 6.25 RPO, which included two big wickets of Milind Kumar and Lahiru Milantha.

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Dane Piedt (WAF)

Piedt didn’t get a chance to bat but delivered a fine spell with the ball. He finished with figures of 1/28 in his three overs. He gave away 6 dots and 3 sixes in his spell and also managed to get the wicket of David Miller.

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Anrich Nortje (WAF)

It was a rare off day for Anrich Nortje who was taken to the cleaners today. He went wicketless and almost conceded at 11.5 RPO. In his four overs, he gave away 45 runs, which includes 4 fours and 3 sixes.

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Faf du Plessis (TSK)

South African batting giant Faf du Plessis faltered with the bat, scoring 14(15). His short innings featured only two boundaries. He fell during the last ball of the fourth over when he was dismissed by Saurabh Netravalkar after skewing a length ball to long on for a simple catch.

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Devon Conway (TSK)

There is nothing much to be said about Devon Conway. After ending the first game on a high, Conway came crashing down as he was dismissed on a golden duck. Jansen was the man who castled him with an absolute snotter of a delivery during the fifth ball of the second innings.

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David Miller (TSK)

David Miller in frame (Image Courtesy: Twitter/Texas Super Kings)

David Miller got a decent start but was unable to go on to post a big score. He ended up scoring 14(15) which included 1 four and 1 six. He was eventually rounded up by Piedt as he holed out to deep mid wicket.

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Mitchell Santner (TSK)

Mitchell Santner made a handy contribution with the bat, scoring 22(19) at a strike rate of 115.78 which involved two sixes. He was dismissed by Henriques during the 14th over while trying to up the ante. The Kiwi also bowled a tidy spell of 1/32 in his four overs going at just around eight RPO.

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Gerald Coetzee (TSK)

Gerald Coetzee was outstanding with the ball, picking up figures of 2/26 which involved the prized wickets of Gous and Henriques during the early and latter stages of the game. He bowled 12 dots and conceded 2 fours and a six in his four-over spell.

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Dwayne Bravo (TSK)

Dwayne Bravo played a blinder of an innings, scoring 76(39) which nearly took his side to an emphatic victory. He played all around the park and was certainly a nightmare for the Washington bowlers. Bravo kept it tidy with the ball, picking up figures of 1/28 in his four-over spell.

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Rusty Theron (TSK)

The former South African pacer had an off day, bowling only two overs and conceding 27 runs. He went 13.5 RPO and was wicketless throughout the game. In his two overs, Theron bowled three dots, and conceded two fours and two sixes.

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Note: Domestic players playing for the USA team have not been featured in the article.