San Francisco Unicorns and Washington Freedom meet in the Challenger of Major League Cricket 2026 at the Oakland Coliseum, with the winner earning a place in the final.
The Unicorns finished top of the league table with 12 points but lost to Los Angeles Knight Riders in the Qualifier. Matthew Short’s side is built around Finn Allen and Lhuan-dre Pretorius at the top, with Aaron Hardie, Hassan Khan, Xavier Bartlett and Haris Rauf in key roles.
Washington come in with momentum after beating MI New York in the Eliminator. Steve Smith’s team chased 267, the highest successful chase in T20 history, with centuries from Smith and Andries Gous. Mitchell Owen, Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Maxwell add further batting power, with Ben Dwarshuis, Obus Pienaar and Ian Holland in the bowling group.
With batting-friendly conditions and a possible touch of dew later, bowling first looks attractive for the toss winner. Our preview backs Washington Freedom, who have the form and the batting depth.