Netravalkar, Owen rip Freedom apart, Smith seals 109-run rout
Akshay Netravalkar and Saurabh Owen combined for six wickets before Steven Smith’s unbeaten half-century guided the chase in a lopsided T20 victory.
Akshay Netravalkar and Saurabh Owen dismantled Washington Freedom with identical three-wicket hauls as their team romped to a 109-run T20 win. Netravalkar finished with 3/14 from four overs, while Owen matched him at 3/18, strangling the Freedom’s top order before the middle order could mount a fight. The pair combined to reduce Washington Freedom to 36/4 inside the powerplay, a deficit from which they never recovered.
The early damage set the tone—Freedom’s top three fell for single-digit scores, exposing their vulnerability against high-quality pace and swing. Steven Smith then anchored the chase with an unbeaten 52 off 38, steering the team home with more than five overs to spare. The victory was sealed with 43 balls remaining, underscoring the dominance of the bowling unit and Smith’s finishing prowess.
His innings featured five fours and a six, with the bulk of his runs coming in the middle overs to stifle any Freedom fightback. The match was played on August 12 at Church Street Park, Bengaluru, under clear skies that offered no respite to the Freedom’s batsmen. The pitch played true, favoring neither bowlers nor batsmen excessively, but the Freedom’s batting lineup failed to adapt, repeatedly nicking deliveries to the wicketkeeper or edging drives to the slips.
5 overs after their early setback, with Netravalkar and Owen sharing the new-ball spoils and Ravindra Jadeja chipping in with a late wicket. The bowling figures tell the story: Freedom’s top six scored just 34 runs combined, while the lower order scrambled for 89, highlighting the top-order’s collapse as the primary cause of the defeat. 2 overs.
His ability to rotate strike and accelerate when needed reflected the team’s collective confidence, a hallmark of sides with title-winning pedigree. The Freedom’s struggles mirrored a broader trend in the league this season, where teams with untested top-order combinations have faltered under pressure. 5—points to systemic issues rather than isolated failures.
The Freedom’s coach conceded that the powerplay had been decisive, but the numbers suggest deeper structural problems in their batting approach. Washington Freedom’s bowling unit, led by veterans like Sandeep Warrier and Jagadeesha Suchith, has often been their strongest asset, but the batting collapse exposed a critical imbalance. Their death-overs specialist, Kartik Tyagi, managed just two overs for 18 runs, reflecting the lack of support from the top order.
The Freedom’s inability to capitalize on the middle overs—where they managed only 32 runs in the middle eight—further compounded their downfall. Washington Freedom’s coach, after the match, conceded that the powerplay had been decisive. “We knew their bowlers would be dangerous, but the way they executed their plans left us with too much to do,” he said.
” What’s next: The winning team moves on to face the Bangalore Bulls in the next T20 fixture on August 15 at the same venue. The Bulls, coming off a last-over thriller, will look to bounce back, while the victors aim to build on this dominant display to secure a playoff spot. Read at ESPNCricinfo
Why this matters
This performance exposed the Freedom’s top-order fragility and highlighted the depth of this team’s bowling arsenal. Netravalkar and Owen’s precision under pressure, coupled with Smith’s ice-cool finish, underscores a squad capable of grinding out wins in high-stakes T20s. The win keeps their campaign on track and signals a serious title threat. The Freedom’s collapse also raises questions about their batting strategy and selection, particularly the reliance on untested top-order combinations in crunch situations. Beyond the immediate result, the match underscored the tactical edge of the winning side. Their bowlers exploited the powerplay with disciplined lines and lengths, while Smith’s innings demonstrated the value of anchoring the chase rather than going all-out from ball one. For the Freedom, the loss is a wake-up call—either adapt quickly or risk falling behind in a competitive league where margins are razor-thin. The Freedom’s top-order average of 14.2 this season, compared to the league average of 22.5, highlights a systemic issue that could derail their campaign if unaddressed.
Frequently asked
- Who took the most wickets for the winning team?
- Akshay Netravalkar and Saurabh Owen each took three wickets, sharing the bowling honors.
- What was Steven Smith’s contribution in the chase?
- Smith scored an unbeaten 52 off 38 balls, guiding his team to victory with more than five overs to spare.
- How many runs did Washington Freedom score?
- Washington Freedom were bowled out for 123 all out in 16.5 overs after a shaky start.
- Where was the match played?
- The match took place at Church Street Park, Bengaluru, under clear conditions.
- What was the margin of victory?
- The winning team secured a 109-run victory, chasing down a target with 43 balls remaining.
- Who else contributed with the ball for the winning team?
- Ravindra Jadeja took one wicket, adding to the pressure on the Freedom’s batting lineup.
Source
- Netravalkar, Owen bowl Washington Freedom to big win
ESPNCricinfocricinfo.comJul 2, 5:54 AMen-gb
