10.45pm Phew, what a crazy game. Good time to revisit my chat with Gous from the T20 World Cup in Chennai in February. He's turning out to be some player in franchise T20 cricket. Don't forget the contributions from Smith and Ravindra as well. Quick turnaround for WF: they will meet SFU in Eliminator 2 tomorrow. MINY, however, will have to pack up and go home despite posting 266 today. Until next time, this is Deivarayan Muthu signing off on the behalf of P Ranjith and Sudeep Poojar. Goodbye and cheers

Sowmya : "Even in book cricket, these scores are next to impossible! "

Steven Smith: It was insane striking at the other end. Felt like Gous didn't miss the middle of the bat and I had the best seat in the house. A lot has to go right to chase that down. Fortunately, it kept going the rope and two good hits you're on the path. You just gotta trust the boys, go out and play. A lot has to go right, as I said. I think it's a record for the amount of sixes in a T20 game. There was a bit of dew and the ball skidded on. It was a special night and great partnership with Gousy. We will soak it up tonight and come back tomorrow for another big game.

Gous, Player of the Match: It's just the belief we have in each other. Ricky and Hopsey everyone... It's truly special. On a personal note, I wanted to become the first player from the USA to get the 100. I did it in this game. The rate kept staying at 14 and the ball kept skidding. Very happy with that.

Congratulations to Washington, says Nicky P. He says his hundred doesn't matter. He says it is a tough one to swallow. Teams can bat well, we can bowl well, but he blames the fielding. Two dropped catches and a run-out chance. In Oakland, small venue, dew around, he says they needed to take their chances. He says it wasn't meant to be this season for MINY. We scored 260 but then sometimes you get what you deserve. It wasn't meant to be

How do you give up 266 in the first innings... and win by six wickets and eight balls to spare?! Fifty-one sixes were hit on the night. Three hundreds in a T20 match for the first time. Nicky P scoring 106 off 33 somehow ends up feeling the pain of defeat. What have we just witnessed?

AD: "Not only Ricky Ponting but also the other common person is James Hope (Fast Bowling Coach at Punjab Kings and Assistant Coach at Washington Freedom)"

Harsha: "Steve Smith deserves a whole hell a lot of praise for setting up the chase after Washington were 2 down for 10. His counterattack allowed Gous to go much harder later once pressure was on MI."

Thamizh Ponnu : "No 2nd thoughts on the POTM. Rachin Ravindra's 4 wickets @ 7.2 RPO was the difference between the sides! "

nihal : "are they playing on a basketball court?"

kushal: "My player of the match is Rachin Ravindra... Outstanding bowling in this run fest... " Picked up four wickets in the death, helping set up perhaps the most pivotal period in the game. MINY slowed down as they lost those wickets towards the end. But still, do you blame the batters on a day when you put on 266? 266 should have been enough on any pitch, on any ground. Ridiculous stuff at the Oakland colosseum.

AD: "The only thing common in two highest chases in franchise league history: Ricky Thomas Ponting." Is that a diss on the man for giving up huuuuuge totals and having to scramble from there?


18.4
6
Ugarkar to Maxwell, SIX, scoops it into the stands at fine leg and the Freedom dugout celebrates a phenomenal chase. Give me a moment to pick up my jaw from the floor
18.3
1
Ugarkar to Smith, 1 run, slaps it into the covers
18.2
1
Ugarkar to Maxwell, 1 run, drives through the covers #doitinsingles
18.1
1
Ugarkar to Smith, 1 run, drives to long-on

Aqeel : "Waiting for Glen Maxwell century " Well, he's here now.

END OF OVER:
18 | 10 Runs 1 Wkt | WSF: 261/4 (6 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 14.50, RRR: 3.00)

  • Steven Smith108 (46b)
  • Faisal Khan Ahmadzai3-0-38-1
  • Rushil Ugarkar3-0-42-1
17.6
W
Faisal Khan Ahmadzai to Chaudhary, OUT, mis-hit down the ground and it's taken by long-on running in. Good defensive bowling, going into the pitch and wide of the hitter's arc. Chaudhary looks to flat-bat it, goes it off the toe-end so there's no power in it

N Chaudhary c Shepherd b Faisal Khan Ahmadzai 2 (5m 3b 0x4 0x6) SR: 66.66

KM Sudarshan : "Hope no kids are watching this. Which kid will pick up a ball? "

Vishwesh Gaur: "DYK: For the first time three individual hundred scored in a T20 match. "

17.5
1
Faisal Khan Ahmadzai to Smith, 1 run, drives calmly through to the sweeper
17.4
4
Faisal Khan Ahmadzai to Smith, FOUR, pulls it to the midwicket boundary. Fierce bottom-hand power and even though the man in the deep had only a few yards to move, he can't get there
17.3
1
Faisal Khan Ahmadzai to Chaudhary, 1 run, hoists it down the ground and is taken at long-on but it is a free hit so he can't be out caught

241 is the joint 2nd highest partnership in all men's T20s

17.3
2nb
Faisal Khan Ahmadzai to Smith, (no ball) 1 run, full toss outside off, Smith swats it to long-on
17.2
1
Faisal Khan Ahmadzai to Chaudhary, 1 run, cramps him with a short ball on leg stump, he's off his feet as he chops it towards point
17.1
1
Faisal Khan Ahmadzai to Smith, 1 run, works it to long-on

END OF OVER:
17 | 10 Runs 1 Wkt | WSF: 251/3 (16 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 14.76, RRR: 5.33)

  • Steven Smith101 (42b)
  • Rushil Ugarkar3-0-42-1
  • Trent Boult4-0-47-0
16.6
W
Ugarkar to Gous, OUT, Gous' sensational effort with the bat comes to an end. Gone for 132. Slower bouncer outside off, Gous has to fetch it from a wide-ish line. He drags it in the air to deep midwicket. Gous raises his bat and acknowledges the applause from the WF dugout

AGS Gous c Boult b Ugarkar 132 (81m 51b 10x4 12x6) SR: 258.82

16.6
1w
Ugarkar to Gous, 1 wide, full and finishes wider than a set of stumps outside off once again. Yet another off-side wide from Ugarkar
16.6
1w
Ugarkar to Gous, 1 wide, sprayed too wide of off. Left alone. Off-side wide
16.5
1
Ugarkar to Smith, 1 run, back of a length and outside off, swatted down the ground to long-off
16.4
0
Ugarkar to Smith, no run, slowie, short and outside off. Smith swings so hard that he loses his shape and misses the ball altogether

Omar: "How will they make highlights for this match. The whole match is the highlights"

16.3
1
Ugarkar to Gous, 1 run, full and bending into the pads, inside-edged onto the pad
16.2
4
Ugarkar to Gous, FOUR, slower bouncer outside off. Gous waits for the ball to arrive, then pumps it over point with his quicksilver hands
16.1
2
Ugarkar to Gous, 2 runs, full and wide of off, marginally short of a yorker length. Swished away to sweeper cover

END OF OVER:
16 | 16 Runs | WSF: 241/2 (26 runs required from 24 balls, RR: 15.06, RRR: 6.50)

  • Andries Gous125 (47b)
  • Steven Smith100 (40b)
  • Trent Boult4-0-47-0
  • Tajinder Singh1-0-31-0
15.6
1
Boult to Gous, 1 run, misses the yorker once again. Comes out as a full-toss, which is forced down the ground to long-off
15.5
4
Boult to Gous, FOUR, crunnnnnnnnnched through the covers. MINY keep missing their yorkers. Overpitched and on off stump, Gous plants his front leg and drills the ball away through the off side
15.4
1
Boult to Smith, 1 run, inswinging yorker on middle and leg, shovelled away through midwicket. Smith raises a century of his own, off 40 balls

Gokul Pradeep V: "Looks like Pooran needs to bring himself in into the attack !! "

15.4
1w
Boult to Smith, 1 wide, slower bouncer outside off, too high and that's a wide
15.3
2
Boult to Smith, 2 runs, back of a length and on middle, Smith stands up tall and solidly punches the ball down to long-on

Washington 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st2SPD SmithMJ Owen
2nd8SPD SmithR Ravindra
3rd241SPD SmithAGS Gous
4th10SPD SmithN Chaudhary
5th9SPD SmithGJ Maxwell