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Off the back off an impressive opening game win, a well-rounded Washington Freedom squad continue their 2024 Major League Cricket campaign against a Texas Super Kings looking to bounce back from an opening game defeat.
DATE & TIME: Monday 8th July, 2024 – USA ET – 3:30pm / USA PT – 12:30pm / West Indies – 2:30pm / UK – 8:30pm / South Africa – 9:30pm / Tuesday 9th
July, 2024 – Pakistan – 12:30am / India – 1:00am / Bangladesh – 1:30am / Australia – 5:30am
VENUE: Church Street Park, Morrisville, North Carolina, United States
WEATHER: 33c or 91.4 F with the possibility of a thunderstorm
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: USA – Willow TV / West Indies – TBA / UK – TNT Sports / South Africa – ESPN / Pakistan – A Sports / India – TBA / Bangladesh – TBA / Australia – N/A
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: USA – Willow TV / West Indies – TBA / UK – TNT Sports app / South Africa – ESPN+ app / Pakistan – A Sports / India – TBA / Bangladesh – TBA / Australia – Amazon Prime Video
WASHINGTON FREEDOM FORM: A STRONG SQUAD
In their opening game of the tournament, the Washington Freedom managed to defeat defending champions MI New York in Morrisville with a four-run DLS victory. MI New York scored 154-9 with US international Saurabh Netravalkar taking 3-24 off his four overs before Steve Smith’s unbeaten 46 from 28 balls saw Freedom home by a slender margin before the rain came.
LAST THREE: WLLWW
TEXAS SUPER KINGS FORM: EXPERIENCED IN ABUNDANCE
The Texas Super Kings, built with the help of so-called ‘Dad’s Army’ Indian Premier League franchise Chennai Super Kings, began their season with a 12-run loss to last season’s wooden spoon outfit Los Angeles Knight Riders in Dallas with Devon Conway’s 53 runs from 39 deliveries not enough to see TSK reach the target of 163.
LAST THREE: LLLWL
WASHINGTON FREEDOM BETTING ANALYSIS
The Washington Freedom have a squad heavily influenced by Australians with aforementioned captain Steve Smith leading the likes of Travis Head and Glenn Maxwell among others. Head missed out with just one run from seven balls against MI New York but that is not expected to be a common occurrence for their Test number five and Head to top score for Freedom is always a good bet.
With the ball, they have a well-rounded attack, too, with plenty of spin options but also the pace of Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson and Saurabh Netravalkar. Ferguson took 1-28 the other day and his bowling has been difficult to hit for a while now, famously taking 3-0 from four overs for New Zealand against Papua New Guinea last month, so Ferguson to be Freedom’s best bowler in this one would be a good shout.
TEXAS SUPER KINGS BETTING ANALYSIS
As mentioned, there is experience throughout the TSK side but the downside to that is there is perhaps not bundles of energy and that was shown in their fairly slow chase the other day. If they are to up the tempo then a lot will rest on the shoulders of Aaron Hardie and Marcus Stoinis. Stoinis didn’t have the best of starts with two from six but if he gets going he is a formidable hitter and Stoinis to hit two or more sixes in any innings, especially one where he needs to respond, would be a reasonable expectation.
In the bowling department, the Super Kings lack a bit of quality experience with Zia-ul-Haq their best bowler from the other day, taking 2-16. Spin is likely to be their biggest threat against the likes of Head and Smith, and even Maxwell, though, so Mohammad Mohsin, despite going wicket-less the other day, would be tipped to take two or more wickets here.
WASHINGTON FREEDOM VS TEXAS SUPER KINGS EXPERT PREDICTION
There are quite a few issues in the Texas Super Kings side and there is probably too much reliance on the opening pair of Faf du Plessis and Devon Conway to score their runs. That means they will likely take their time to get set and TSK having the better opening stand, or at least the biggest with the pace of Head’s innings likely to be a major factor in the game, would be a good bet but Washington Freedom, albeit not overly convincing against MI New York the other day, would still be viewed as favourites for the match.
WASHINGTON FREEDOM VS TEXAS SUPER KINGS TOP TIP: WASHINGTON FREEDOM TO WIN