LAKR 129/10 in 18.4 Overs (Saif Badar 35(28); Saurabh Netravalkar 4/35 in 3.4 overs) lost to WF 130/2 in 16 Overs (Travis Head 54(32); Shadley van Schalkwyk 1/17 in 2 Overs) by 8 wickets
The Los Angeles Knight Riders clashed against the Washington Freedom in a much-anticipated game in Morrisville. After a rain-washed previous game, LAKR were raring to get onto the field to put on a solid performance and bag two crucial points. The fans were eager to see their Knights take the field by the storm and put on an impressive display.
LAKR were put in to bat first on a pitch which looked to have enough assistance for the bowlers. Right from the first over, the pitch behaved slightly two-paced and it was difficult to score off length. LAKR lost early wickets in the powerplay to put them on the backfoot. The pitch assisted the spinners as well with the odd ball turning sharply, which made it difficult for the batters. Despite the adverse conditions, young Said Badar showed a lot of character with the bat and took the game ahead for LAKR. His partnership with Nitish Kumar stabilized the innings. Just when things looked to get back on track, LAKR lost both Nitish & Saif’s wickets to put them on the backfoot. Lower order cameos from Russell, Spencer and Van Schalkwyk helped LAKR reach a fighting total of 129. With the pitch having the assistance for the bowlers, LAKR aimed to go all in and defend the total.
Defending a low total, LAKR aimed to keep the lines tight and pick up early wickets in the powerplay. Despite trying their best, the LAKR bowlers weren’t able to make early in-roads as Travis Head and Steve Smith forged a strong partnership. WF cruised to the total albeit the efforts of LAKR to pick up wickets and get back into the game. Back to the drawing board now for LAKR as they ahead to their next game, analyze their performances and look to come back stronger in their upcoming game.
