Texas Super Kings' Donovan Ferreira blitz put the game past Washington Freedom in the Major League Cricket. (Sportzpics)
Texas Super Kings secured a convincing 43-run victory over Washington Freedom in a rain-affected Major League Cricket match at Lauderhill, propelling them into the second position on the points table.
The match was reduced to five overs per side due to rain, with TSK posting 87/2 before restricting Freedom to just 44/4, largely thanks to Donovan Ferreira's explosive unbeaten innings of 37 off 9 balls and Shubham Ranjane's unbeaten 39 in 14 balls.Marcus Stoinis took charge as captain for TSK in the absence of Faf du Plessis, who was sidelined with a minor injury. Stoinis opened the batting with Daryl Mitchell but departed early, edging behind in the first over with the team managing only five runs.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Shubham Ranjane provided momentum to the innings by hitting two sixes. However, Mitchell's struggle with timing led to him being retired out at the end of the third over, with TSK's score at 34/1.The strategic decision to retire Mitchell proved crucial as TSK dominated the final two overs. The partnership between Ferreira and Ranjane yielded 53 runs off just 12 deliveries, with the US player contributing two fours and a six in the penultimate over.
Ferreira showcased exceptional batting prowess in the final over against Mitchell Owen, smashing four consecutive sixes to reach an unbeaten 37 off just 9 deliveries. This performance helped TSK post 87/2, the second-highest total in a five-over format game.Washington Freedom's chase began promisingly with Rachin Ravindra hitting a four and a six. However, the momentum shifted dramatically when Nandre Burger dismissed both Ravindra and Glenn Maxwell in consecutive deliveries.Akeal Hosein's impressive over, which started with a six but included five consecutive dot balls and a wicket, further derailed Freedom's chase. The combined bowling efforts of Noor Ahmed and Hosein in the final overs restricted Freedom to just 44/4.The victory has significant implications for the tournament standings, with the top three teams - San Francisco Unicorns, Texas Super Kings and Washington Freedom - now tied on 12 points each, with two games remaining for each team.Brief scores: Texas Super Kings 87/2 in 5 overs (Shubham Ranjane 39*, Donovan Ferreira 37*) beat Washington Freedom 44/4 in 5 overs (Nandre Burger 2/12) by 43 runs - Match reduced to 5 overs per side due to rain