MORRISVILLE, North Carolina, CMC – A blistering half-century from Andre Russell earned him the Player-of-the-Match award, but Los Angeles Knight Riders slumped to their fourth consecutive loss when Washington Freedom beat them by six wickets in Major League Cricket on Thursday in the United States.
The discarded West Indies all-rounder slammed six fours and six sixes in an unbeaten 70 from 37 balls, and he was the juice that propelled Knight Riders to 175 for seven from their allocation of 20 overs after they were put in to bat in the ninth match of the Twenty20 tournament at Church Street Park.
Consistent batting down the order led by 43 from Matthew Short and 41 from fellow opener Andries Gous set the tone for Freedom, and they successfully chased the target to clinch their second win and move into third in the points table.
Australian Short got Freedom off to the perfect start when he smashed two boundaries and a six in the first over of the chase, and South Africa-born United States international Gous backed him up with three boundaries and a six in the second over.
They shared 68 for the first wicket before Australia-born Italy international pacer Spencer Johnson got Gous caught at short mid-wicket in the final over of the Power Play. A handful of batsmen got starts without carrying on for Freedom before South Africa-born United States international Obus Pienaar, not out on 26, and his captain, Australia discard Moises Henriques, not out on 16, shared an unbroken stand of 41 to take the Washington franchise over the line.
The result meant that LAKR bowed out of the playoff race and kept Freedom, whose line up included West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein, in contention to challenge for the title.
Earlier, Russell led the Knight Riders recovery effort after they stumbled to 68 for four in the 11th over, sharing 86 for the fifth wicket with South Africa batsman Rilee Roussouw.
Three wickets in the span of seven balls – including Roussouw for 41 and out-of-favour West Indies off-spinner Sunil Narine – weakened the late charge for Knight Riders, and Russell was left to muscle them to an acceptable total.
