Washington Freedom vs MI New York Prediction & Match Preview – MLC Eliminator

Washington Freedom and MI New York meet in the Eliminator of Major League Cricket 2026 at the Oakland Coliseum, with the loser going out. The 6:30 pm local start and a surface that favours batters point towards a high-scoring evening.

Washington are captained by Steven Smith and have plenty of firepower in Mitchell Owen, Rachin Ravindra, Andries Gous and Glenn Maxwell. Their seam attack includes Ben Dwarshuis, Obus Pienaar and Ian Holland, with Saurabh Netravalkar also in the mix.

MI New York’s squad features Quinton de Kock, Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard, Monank Patel and Trent Boult, along with Romario Shepherd and Rushil Ugarkar. Their strength lies in explosive batting and a quality new-ball option in Boult.

Short boundaries and good bounce make a total above 175 likely to be needed, though a strong powerplay can make a chase achievable. Weighing depth and the way the top order is stacked, our preview selects Washington Freedom, while expecting MI New York to call correctly at the toss and field first.

Pitch report

The drop-in surface at Oakland Coliseum is expected to be balanced with a slight lean towards batters, offering good pace and even bounce. Seamers may get some movement with the new ball, while spinners will have to rely on accuracy and variations in the middle overs. Short boundaries make big hitting easier, and a first-innings total of 175–195 is considered competitive. Chasing has generally worked well in similar conditions, so captains winning the toss may prefer to bowl.

Weather

The evening is forecast to be comfortable and mostly cloudy at around 23°C, with very little chance of rain. The cloud cover could help fast bowlers a little, and the dew factor is expected to be minimal, so both sides should face similar conditions.

Expected scores

• 1st innings: 165–180
• 2nd innings: 160–175

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