There is one match in the Major League Cricket season on Tuesday and it comes at night which means that it is in Dallas as the Washington Freedom look to continue their unbeaten campaign when they face the defending champions MI New York.
This is a big game for both sides. Washington Freedom will secure their spot in the postseason with a win here while MI New York will certainly consolidate their top four hopes should they come out on top as they look to set up a successful title defence.
MI New York
It is a title defence which hasn’t gone to plan for the MI New York side at present and they are in pretty urgent need of a turnaround in their fortunes if they are going to be back in the big matches come the end of the campaign. The good thing about this competition is that you only have to beat off two teams over the first part of it and then come good at the back end and there is every chance to be successful so all certainly isn’t lost yet.
The MI New York lost their last completed match when they allowed Texas Super Kings to get away from them at the start of the match and try as they might they just couldn’t get back into it. There is a real concern developing over the quality of their batting unit, or certainly the form of it at the very least. It is a unit which doesn’t have a whole lot of glue to it and as we have said repeatedly it is very much a line up that needs the ball to be coming onto the bat.
Washington Freedom
This has been a near perfect campaign for the Washington Freedom so far. That doesn’t surprise me as they were my pick for the tournament before a ball was bowled in it and they haven’t disappointed me so far. They have won the three matches which have yielded a result in the competition and then they had a washout in the other game, although that one was a little more in the balance when the rain came to be fair.
There is a lot to like about the Freedom so far this season but I think the biggest thing to like is their bowling unit. They have the leading bowler in the tournament in their ranks but the attack just looks really nicely balanced and they have enough options in their squad to pick the bowling to suit the conditions. They have been brutal at the top of the innings with the bat and haven’t really needed a telling contribution from the lower order but on paper it is there should they need it.
Special Offer
Open a new Sporting Index account and bet £10 on Major League Cricket (min odds 1/2) to get £20 in free bets (2x£10 free bets) to use on any sports market! Click the image below to take advantage of this great offer! 18+ T&Cs apply. Gamble Responsibly.
Key Players
Trent Boult came up dry with the new ball in the previous match for the MI New York side but this is a team who really need new ball wickets because other than Rashid Khan there isn’t a great deal in the middle overs to stem the flow of runs.
Saurabh Netravalkar is the leading bowler in the competition at the minute and leads by quite some way. He is going to become a very rich man over the next 12 months or so you would imagine and another positive showing here would only further swell the numbers to come in his bank account.
Betting
Even at 4/5 I think there is value in the Washington Freedom here. They look to be so far clear of the rest of the teams in this tournament and while we won’t know for sure whether they would have won the reverse fixture between these two, they were well on their way to doing so when the rain came so I’ve got to think they will get the job done here. To be fair to New York, I expect them to produce better cricket in Dallas but I still think they have a bit to find.
I really like this Washington bowling unit and the fact that they can change it for whatever conditions they encounter. They can use all seamers if the need is for that but they have a couple of spinners and some part timers who can do the job. When I look at this New York side, I see a good team of individuals but not enough of them are in the sort of form that they need to be in to get the better of this New York team. I’ll take Washington here.
Tips
Back Washington Freedom to beat MI New York for a 3/10 stake at 1.80 with Boylesports
Back them here:
