Seattle Orcas vs Washington Freedom Highlights: Washington beat Seattle by 5 wickets

Nandre Burger to Mukhtar Ahmed, Short of a length, outside off. Mukhtar Ahmed cuts it off the edge and flies on the bounce to third man for one. 

Nandre Burger to Mukhtar Ahmed, WIDE! Bangs it too short, and goes way over the batter. Mukhtar Ahmed lets it go. Wide signaled. 

Nandre Burger to Steven Smith, Back of a length on middle. Steven Smith gets across and tucks it through mid-wicket for one. 

Nandre Burger to Mukhtar Ahmed, Short of a length, angling away. Mukhtar Ahmed dabs it to left of third man for one. 

Mukhtar Ahmed is in at 4.

Nandre Burger to Rachin Ravindra, OUT! TAKEN! Nandre Burger strikes! Hard-length delivery, outside off. Rachin Ravindra looks to go up and away but hits it off the cue end of the blade and spoons it toward the mid-off region. Heinrich Klaasen stationed there, takes a simple catch and the Washington Freedom loses their second. A quick cameo from Rachin Ravindra comes to an end.

Change of ends for Nandre Burger.

Nandre Burger to Rachin Ravindra, Back of a length, skids through off the pitch. Rachin Ravindra goes for the pull but misses and gets a thud above his thigh pad. 

Cameron Gannon to Rachin Ravindra, Back of a length on the body. Rachin Ravindra tucks it through backward square leg for one. 

Cameron Gannon to Rachin Ravindra, FOUR! BANG! Not from the middle but Rachin Ravindra will take it! Good length delivery, on off. Rachin Ravindra splices it past the bowler and hits it past the mid-off fielder for another boundary. 

Cameron Gannon to Rachin Ravindra, Back of a length on off. Rachin Ravindra taps it to backward point. 

Cameron Gannon to Rachin Ravindra, FOUR! Too Easy! Cameron Gannon comes from round the wicket and lands it on a length and angling down the leg. Rachin Ravindra helps it to the fine leg region for a boundary. 

Cameron Gannon to Steven Smith, Short of a length, around off. Steven Smith pulls it to deep square leg for one.

Cameron Gannon to Steven Smith, Back of a length, outside off. Steven Smith in on the charge and cuts it to cover-point fielder.

Imad Wasim to Rachin Ravindra, SIX! THUMPED! Rachin Ravindra is in full flow now! Flights it full, around off. Rachin Ravindra gets low and lofts it over the wide long-off fence for a maximum. 18 runs off the over. 

Imad Wasim to Steven Smith, Flat and at the stumps. Steven Smith knocks it to long-on for a single. 

Imad Wasim to Rachin Ravindra, Fraction fuller, and tosses it on off. Rachin Ravindra drives and gets an inside edge toward short fine leg for one. 

Imad Wasim to Rachin Ravindra, Imad Wasim goes over the wicket and skids the length ball, just outside off. Rachin Ravindra plays and misses.

Imad Wasim to Rachin Ravindra, FOUR! SMACKED! Width offered and punished by Ravindra! Short and wide outside off. Rachin Ravindra cuts it through the cover region and finds the ropes in a flash. 

Imad Wasim to Rachin Ravindra, SIX! BOOM! Imad Wasim drops it short on the middle and leg. Rachin Ravindra goes back and pulls it over the deep mid-wicket boundary for half a dozen. 

Nandre Burger to Steven Smith, Back of a length on off. Steven Smith stays back and taps it to point. Rachin Ravindra is halfway down for the single but was sent back. The fielder has a shy at the stumps but misses. A direct hit would have been curtains for Ravindra. 

Nandre Burger to Steven Smith, FOUR! Stunning! On a hard-length, angling across. Steven Smith gets on top of the bounce and cuts it through the point region for a boundary. 

Nandre Burger to Steven Smith, Back of a length, on middle and leg. Steven Smith is early into the pull and gets a thud on the thigh pad. 

Nandre Burger to Steven Smith, Hard-length, around off. Steven Smith knocks it to extra cover.

Nandre Burger to Rachin Ravindra, LEG BYE! Back of a length, angled into the batter. Rachin Ravindra looks to tuck it across the line but gets rushed on the pad. The ball deflects off the pad toward backward point for a leg bye.

Nandre Burger to Steven Smith, Steven Smith, and the Washington Freedom are away! Back of a length, on off. Steven Smith drops into the off-side and takes a single.

Nandre Burger will steam in from the other end.

Imad Wasim to Rachin Ravindra, A wicket maiden from Imad Wasim. Just the start the Seattle Orcas needed. Lands it on a length, on off. Rachin Ravindra hangs back and cuts into covers.

Imad Wasim to Rachin Ravindra, Quicker length ball, at the stumps. Rachin Ravindra knocks it back at the bowler.

Imad Wasim to Rachin Ravindra, Flat and at the stumps. Rachin Ravindra knocks it to short mid-wicket.

Imad Wasim to Rachin Ravindra, Flat and skids through outside off. Rachin Ravindra cuts and misses.

Rachin Ravindra is in at 3.

Imad Wasim to Travis Head, OUT! CAUGHT! Imad Wasim draws the early blood and removes Travis Head for a duck! Tad short and drifting away from the batter. Travis Head hangs back and cuts it straight to the man at backward point. Ali Sheikh, the substitute fielder, takes a sharp catch and the Freedom lose an early wicket. 

Imad Wasim to Travis Head, Pitched full on off. Travis Head pushes it to mid-off.

Welcome back. The players and the umpires return to the ground. The pair of Steven Smith and Travis Head are the openers for Washington Freedom. Imad Wasim will start with the ball for the Seattle Orcas. Here we go! 

... THE RUN CHASE ...

The target is below par and it would take a gutsy effort by the bowlers of Seattle Orcas to defend this. Can the Washington Freedom continue their unbeaten run in the tournament? We shall find out soon with the chase. 

The pacer from Washington Freedom, Saurabh Netravalkar is up for a chat. He says he is keeping it simple and trying to hit the top of the off-stump. Adds that he tried to be adaptable as there was not much swing on offer. Shares that it was all about hitting the good areas and using the pitch. Ends by adding that it is humbling to play under Ricky Ponting as he gets to learn a lot.

The bowling from Washington Freedom was spot on. The bowlers did their job to perfection and put a stamp of acknowledgment on the skipper's decision to field first. Lockie Ferguson continued his good form and picked up 4 wickets giving away just 26 runs. Saurabh Netravalkar picked up three as well. Marco Jansen and Ian Holland took one each while Glenn Maxwell didn't get a wicket but was the most economical of them all. 

We are halfway stage of this game and Washington Freedom would be the happier side at this point. After winning the toss and putting the Seattle Orcas into bat first, the bowlers of Washington Freedom have done a brilliant job in restricting the Seattle Orcas to just 124. The tone was set by the bowlers early on with them bowling in the right channels and sticking to their plans. The batters found it difficult to even rotate strike let alone smash boundaries in the Powerplay. Seattle Orcas could only manage 35 runs inside the Powerplay and lost 2 wickets. The batters struggled throughout the innings and it was only for Heinrich Klaasen's half-century and a handy contribution of 24 from Quinton de Kock, that the Seattle Orcas have managed to post a total they could put up a fight for. 

Saurabh Netravalkar to Nandre Burger, OUT! In the air and gone! Saurabh Netravalkar finishes with a three-fer and the Seattle Orcas are bundled out for just 124. Slower length ball, outside off. Nandre Burger lifts it off the cue end of the blade and finds Mukhtar Ahmed at the long-off boundary. He comes running in and takes a regulation catch. Washington Freedom will be delighted with their work at the halfway mark of this game. 

Saurabh Netravalkar to Nandre Burger, On a length, around off. Nandre Burger hacks it over the mid-wicket fielder and scampers back for the second. 

Saurabh Netravalkar to Zaman Khan, Short of a length, outside off. Zaman Khan clears the front leg and smacks it to deep backward point for one. 

Saurabh Netravalkar to Zaman Khan, On a fullish length, angling across. Zaman Khan swings and misses.

Ian Holland to Zaman Khan, Full-length delivery outside off. Zaman Khan swings hard and drags it to long-on for one.

Zaman Khan is the last batter for the Orcas.

Ian Holland to Cameron Gannon, OUT! TAKEN! Ian Holland has the last laugh and gets his first wicket of the game! Low full toss, on off. Gannon tries to go downtown but does not get the desired connection and is caught at long-off by Lockie Ferguson. Seattle Orcas are nine down and in danger of not batting out their 20 overs.

Ian Holland to Cameron Gannon, Full and around off. Gannon swings and misses.

Ian Holland to Cameron Gannon, SIX! BOOM! Cameron Gannon connects and gets a much-needed maximum! Pitched full, around off. Gannon gets under it and powers it over the long off boundary for half a dozen.

Ian Holland to Nandre Burger, On a length, on off. Nandre Burger knocks it to long-off for one.