Los Angeles Knight Riders dominated Washington Freedom with an 18-run victory in Dallas, igniting their MLC campaign. Matthew Tromp and Sunil Narine led the charge as LAKR climbed to eight points in the standings.
Tromp and Fletcher rebuild after early wobbles
LAKR’s batting finally clicked after a shaky start. Saurabh Netravalkar removed Colin Munro early, then Jack Edwards bowled Andre Russell for 14, leaving the Knight Riders at 17 for 2. But Tromp and Andre Fletcher steadied the ship with a blistering 110-run partnership off 69 balls.
Tromp smashed his maiden MLC fifty in just 35 deliveries, while Fletcher anchored the innings with a 40-ball 59. Even a late collapse—Netravalkar’s double strike in the 16th over—couldn’t stop LAKR. Jahmar Hamilton and Saif Badar’s 20-ball 46-run stand pushed the total to 192/8.
Narine’s Powerplay stranglehold seals the win
Sunil Narine’s three-over Powerplay spell (11 runs, 1 wicket) set the tone. Andre Russell then struck twice in the sixth over, dismissing Steve Smith and Rachin Ravindra to leave Freedom reeling at 41 for 3. Lahiru Milantha’s counterattack briefly revived hopes, but Ali Khan’s double strike and Shadley van Schalkwyk’s late wickets crushed the chase.
Key stats from the LAKR vs Washington Freedom clash
- Los Angeles Knight Riders 192/8 (Andre Fletcher 59, Matthew Tromp 50; Saurabh Netravalkar 3-33)
- Washington Freedom 174/8 (Lahiru Milantha 40; Andre Russell 3-34, Ali Khan 2-18)
- Result: LAKR win by 18 runs
With eight points and momentum building, LAKR now eye their next MLC showdown—ready to ride this wave.
