11:10pm That brings us to the end of our coverage for this game. Washington are through to the final and they now await the winner of the Challenger, which is scheduled for tomorrow between the San Francisco Unicorns and the Texas Super Kings. We hope to have your company for that encounter too, and until then, this is goodbye from Binoy, me and everyone else at ESPNcricinfo. Take care, folks!
Travis Head, Player of the Match: (What has helped his form) Batting in the powerplay (smiles). Nice to get a match-winning score and looking forward to a few days off. My job is to get us off to a good start and get a fast start. Few wickets fell today, so tried to take my time a little more. That (attacking in the powerplay) is the role I have been given and it is working. Really good wicket (here in Texas), swung a bit today. Felt there were a few vulnerable stages with the high-risk shots but that can happen. (On the message from head coach Ricky Ponting and the support staff) Left me alone, let me do my thing. Nice that I have been able to repay (their faith).
Steve Smith, Washington Freedom captain: It has been good fun, we have a good bunch of guys. They gelled together really quickly. Really good campaign, helps when you win games of cricket along the way. Nice to win tonight and get to the big dance. (On the instructions to the bowlers with the new ball) Just try and take wickets. With the new ball, on this wicket, you have to try and take inroads. It gets easier as the innings goes on. The bowlers did a magnificent job. It was a few under-par. Then Travis and Maxi played unbelievably well. Travis has been in unbelievable form for a while and he just keeps on going. He is clear, confident, and sees the ball and hits it. He has really good bat speed, when he hits it, the ball flies. He is getting into good positions and he is playing beautifully. Hopefully one more big knock from him (in the final).
Corey Anderson, San Francisco Unicorns captain: Always tough when you lose four wickets early on. We gave ourselves a chance but we were 20-30 runs short. In other games, we were able to defend that. Head played an unbelievable innings and then Maxwell came out, put the icing on the cake. We were short of our best. The way our line-up is, the way they play their best is when they go hard and take risks. With risks, there can be failures but you cannot get down too low. We pick ourselves quickly and go again tomorrow.
Rachin Ravindra: (On his bowling) It was good. Smudge trusts me in those little moments. Boys had a good powerplay, was able to bash a length and happy it worked out. My role as a sixth bowler, sometimes I may not get to bowl but today, the match-ups were there. Just about working hard (and being ready). I want to continue being a genuine all-rounder. Good for the team if I can bat in the top three-four and then bowl a few overs. Great thing about franchise cricket these days is you can soak in as much as you can. Be a sponge, learn what they do, the processes they do. Learning from those guys (like Head) is great. I am still learning on the role, good to have guys around me who have done it. For me, it is about learning from each experience and it can only help me as a cricketer playing these different roles.
10:50pm A professional and a bruising run-chase, spearheaded and headlined by two of Australia's finest white-ball cricketers at the moment. Head did the bulk of the early lifting, demolishing the Unicorns inside the powerplay, even as Smith fell early and Gous struggled for rhythm. There was a brief lull after the field restrictions were lifted but the tempo was picked up towards the end, with Maxwell finding some form with the willow. He smashed 54 off 23 and ensured that Washington iced the chase with more than four overs to spare.
A bad day at the office for the Unicorns. They did not have enough runs on the board and were always playing catch-up in the second innings. They lacked penetration too and could not maximise the longer boundary to one side. Cummins and Hassan were among the wickets, and that was perhaps it as far as their bowling display was concerned.
Score level
Rauf returns. Washington need 11 to make the final and they have 30 balls to do so
END OF OVER:15 | 15 Runs | WSF: 135/3 (11 runs required from 30 balls, RR: 9.00, RRR: 2.20)
- Glenn Maxwell40 (20b)
- Travis Head77 (44b)
- Hassan Khan4-0-32-2
- Corey Anderson1-0-15-0
Just 12 needed now
END OF OVER:14 | 15 Runs | WSF: 120/3 (26 runs required from 36 balls, RR: 8.57, RRR: 4.33)
- Travis Head76 (43b)
- Glenn Maxwell26 (15b)
- Corey Anderson1-0-15-0
- Pat Cummins3-1-19-1
Anderson did not bowl a bad over, yet, conceded 15. Such is this format...
Around the wicket to Maxwell
Third man on the fence now
Captain Anderson brings himself on. Final roll of the dice?
END OF OVER:13 | 13 Runs | WSF: 105/3 (41 runs required from 42 balls, RR: 8.07, RRR: 5.85)
- Glenn Maxwell25 (14b)
- Travis Head63 (38b)
- Pat Cummins3-1-19-1
- Juanoy Drysdale2-0-18-0
Around the wicket
