Holder’s Knight Riders edge Freedom to capture maiden MLC title

OAKLAND, United States (CMC):
The Jason Holder-led Los Angeles Knight Riders captured their first-ever Major League Cricket (MLC) title with a dramatic one-run win over the Washington Freedom on Saturday.
After being sent in to bat at the Oakland Coliseum, the Knight Riders got up to 164 before being bowled out in 19.4 overs.
Opener Andre Fletcher hit the top score of 47 off 27 balls, his partner Colin Munro scored 40 from 29 balls, while Matthew Tromp added 37 off 21 balls in an otherwise disappointing batting display by the Knight Riders.
Big hitters Andre Russell (0), Rovman Powell (4) and Holder, who made just eight, all failed to fire with the bat.
Ben Dwarshius led a disciplined Freedom bowling attack taking 3-31, with Mitchell Owen (2-14), Rachin Ravindra (2-23) and Nikhil Chaudhary (2-32) all providing support.
However, Holder, along with Sunil Narine, returned to snare the first six wickets, as the Freedom fell agonisingly short of their target, finishing on 163 for nine in their 20 overs.
Needing 14 runs off the final over bowled by Shadley van Schalkwyk, Obus Pienaar smashed a huge six off the first ball to reduce the equation to eight off five balls, bringing up his half century in the process.
But van Schalkwyk held his nerve to york him with the next delivery before having Ian Holland caught off the ensuing ball.
Lockie Ferguson hit a boundary off the fourth ball, to bring it down to four off two balls, but van Schalkwyk gave up just two singles off the final two balls and the Knight Riders held on for victory by the slimmest of margins.
Narine, who was named Player of the Match and Player of the Series, grabbed 3-13, while Holder took 3-31 and van Schalkwyk 2-50.