The Washington Freedom, defending champions of Major League Cricket (MLC), have secured a top-two finish in the league standings following a decisive six-wicket victory over MI New York. The match, reduced to 18 overs per side due to weather conditions, saw the Freedom chase down a target of 113 with 18 balls to spare.

Key Performances:

• Andries Gous played a pivotal role, scoring an unbeaten 46 off 34 balls.
• Mark Chapman from New Zealand contributed a quickfire 27 off 18 balls.
• Earlier in the match, Glenn Maxwell showcased his bowling prowess, taking 3-27 to restrict New York to 112-8. Kunwarjeet Singh was the top scorer for New York with 33 runs.

In another crucial match, the Los Angeles Knight Riders denied the San Francisco Unicorns a top-two finish with an 11-run victory. Andre Fletcher was the star of the show, smashing his second century of the season with a blistering 118 off 58 balls. He was well-supported by Alex Hales (58 off 26) and Sherfane Rutherford (49 off 28), as the Knight Riders posted a formidable total of 243-3.

MLC Playoff Schedule:

• Qualifier 1: Texas Super Kings vs Washington Freedom - July 9, 01:00 BST
• Eliminator: MI New York vs San Francisco Unicorns - July 10, 01:00 BST
• Qualifier 2: Loser of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Eliminator - July 11, 01:00 BST
• Final: Winner of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Qualifier 2 - July 14, 01:00 BST

With the playoffs now confirmed, the stage is set for an exciting conclusion to the Major League Cricket season.