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The Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 is now just two games away from the knockout stages. San Francisco Unicorns are up against Washington Freedom in an important clash on Tuesday, July 23.
Washington Freedom have been unbeaten throughout this tournament so far. With five wins and a no-result out of six games, they are at the top of the table with 11 points.
They beat the Texas Super Kings by 42 runs in their previous match. On the other hand, San Francisco Unicorns are placed second with four wins and nine points from six clashes.
They also beat the Seattle Orcas coming into this game. Both teams have already made it to the Qualifier of MLC 2024, which will be played on July 26. This game will thus serve as a preparatory ground as they will face each other yet again.
On that note, here is a combined playing 11 with players from both sides ahead of their final league stage match.
Combined San Francisco Unicorns-Washington Freedom playing 11 for MLC 2024
Openers: Finn Allen, Travis Head
Finn Allen, with 186 runs from five innings at a strike-rate of 202.17, is the fifth-highest run-getter of the tournament. He has scored the most runs for San Francisco this year.
In their previous outing against Seattle, Allen struck a brutal 30-ball 77, striking at 256.66, that helped them chase down a total of 152 with ease.
Partnering him at the top would be Travis Head, who has also displayed great form for Washington Freedom. With 194 runs from six games, he is the third-highest run-getter of the MLC 2024.
Head has been consistent throughout, smashing three fifties and a hundred, including a 22-ball 53 in the last match.
Middle-order and all-rounders: Steve Smith (C), Rachin Ravindra, Andries Gous (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Obus Pienaar, Corey Anderson
Steve Smith has proved to be a great inclusion for Washington Freedom this season. He has scored 191 runs from six innings at an average of 63.66 and is the fourth-highest run-getter as well.
The Washington Freedom skipper scored a crucial 57 in the last game and would also captain this combined side.
Rachin Ravindra may not have shone with the bat in the MLC 2024 so far, scoring only 69 runs from four innings. However, he has been a key asset with the ball for Washington Freedom, picking up five wickets, including a four-fer in their previous fixture.
Andries Gous would handle the wicket-keeping duties. He has a fifty to his name this season and has displayed some power-hitting ability. Gous scored a quickfire 9-ball 15 in the last game as well.
Glenn Maxwell has not been as effective with the bat this season yet. He has only managed to score 59 runs from three innings. However, he scored a crucial 23-ball 34 in the previous match and grabbed three wickets as well. His all-round skills make him a valuable asset.
Obus Pienaar played a vital role in giving Washington Freedom a solid finish with the bat in their last match. He scored an unbeaten 21-ball 33. Pienaar has displayed his ability to provide stability down the order and contribute with some important runs as well.
Corey Anderson is another all-round who would add to the strength of this combined team. He has a high score of an unbeaten 59 this season and also picked up a wicket in the last game against Texas.
Bowlers: Hassan Khan, Jasdeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson
Left-arm spinner Hassan Khan has picked up six wickets in the tournament for the San Francisco Unicorns. He impressed in the previous game, returning with figures of 3/5 from his two overs, thus also being economical.
Jasdeep Singh, coming in for Saurabh Netravalkar, had big shoes to fill in. The right-arm pacer has been brilliant for Washington Freedom in his limited opportunities this season.
Jasdeep has picked up six wickets from just two games at an economy rate of 5.57. He also bagged three wickets in their last match against Texas, giving away just 25 runs in four overs.
Lockie Ferguson is the fifth-highest wicket-taker in MLC 2024 at the moment. He has accounted for nine wickets from six games with a decent economy rate of 7.27. Ferguson has also picked up four-fer in the MLC this season.
