San Francisco Unicorns (SFU) will lock horns with Washington Freedom (WF) in Eliminator 2 of Major League Cricket (MLC) 2026 at the Oakland Coliseum today. The stakes could not be higher, with the winner progressing to the tournament final against Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR), who secured their place after defeating the Unicorns in Qualifier 1.
Both teams enter the contest after contrasting performances. San Francisco Unicorns, led by Matthew Short’s unbeaten 94 and Sanjay Krishnamurthi’s fighting 65, suffered a narrow seven-run defeat to Los Angeles Knight Riders in Qualifier 1.
Meanwhile, Washington Freedom head into the Eliminator on a high after Andries Gous and Steven Smith smashed brilliant centuries to script the highest successful run chase in T20 history against MI New York. With momentum on Freedom’s side and the Unicorns eager to bounce back, fans can expect another high-scoring contest.
SFU vs WF, MLC 2026: Match details
- Date and Time: July 17, 7:00 AM IST / 1:30 AM GMT / July 16 6:30 PM Local
- Venue: Oakland Coliseum, Oakland
SFU vs WF Head-to-Head Record
Matches played: 7 | Washington Freedom won: 4 | San Francisco Unicorns won: 3
Oakland Coliseum Pitch Report
The Oakland Coliseum has consistently produced high-scoring encounters throughout MLC 2026, and another batting-friendly surface is expected for Eliminator 2. More than 500 runs were scored in the previous match at the venue, highlighting the true nature of the wicket and the quick outfield.
While batters are expected to dominate once they get settled, fast bowlers could enjoy some assistance with the new ball during the powerplay, thanks to a hint of lateral movement. However, as the innings progresses, stroke-making generally becomes easier. A first-innings total in excess of 200 could once again be required, with the captain winning the toss likely to bowl first.
Squads
San Francisco Unicorns: Matthew Short (c), Lhuan-dre Pretorius (wk), Finn Allen, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Aaron Hardie, Hassan Khan, Hammad Azam, Brody Couch, Xavier Bartlett, Ghulam Mudassar, Haris Rauf, Peter Siddle, Zia-ul-Haq, Mohammad Ilyas, Aakarshit Gomel, Cooper Connolly, Connor Esterhuizen, Saideep Ganesh, Stephen Wiig, Oliver Peake, Juanoy Drysdale, Anirudh Immanuel
Washington Freedom: Steven Smith (c), Andries Gous (wk), Mitchell Owen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Maxwell, Nikhil Chaudhary, Ben Dwarshuis, Obus Pienaar, Ian Holland, Asif Mehmood, Saurabh Netravalkar, Mark Chapman, Amila Aponso, Yasir Mohammad, Mukhtar Ahmed, Lockie Ferguson, Lahiru Milantha, Jack Edwards, Marco Jansen, Abhishek Paradkar
SFU vs WF, MLC 2026, Today’s Match Prediction
Case 1:
- SFU wins the toss and bowls first
- WF’s powerplay score: 60-65
- WF’s total score: 200-210
Case 2:
- WF wins the toss and bowls first
- SFU’s powerplay score: 55-60
- SFU’s total score: 190-200
Match result: Team bowling first to win the contest.
