WATCH: Jason Holder’s last ball dropped catch breaks LAKR’ hearts as Washington Freedom achieve close win in MLC 2025

Washington Freedom beat LA Knight Riders on the last ball of the game to win a close contest in the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 tournament. The game saw massive drama in the last over as Washington held onto a five-wicket win to move to second in the points table. The loss for LAKR meant that they are fifth in the table with two points from six games. 

You can't ask for a better ending ‼️ Tied at the over's end, the fate of this game hung in the balance on just ONE ball! ⚔️🏏🦅 pic.twitter.com/4nwigzfh8X

— Cognizant Major League Cricket (@MLCricket) June 27, 2025

Andre Russell was given the job of bowling the last over of the game with Freedom needing seven runs to win. The first ball yielded five runs, which included a wide ball and a boundary from Obus Pienaar. This made the equation come down to two runs needed from five balls. Russell then bowled three successive dot balls to make it an exciting encounter. 

LAKR didn’t help themselves when Pienaar got a huge edge of his blade but the decision wasn’t reviewed. Had the Knight Riders decided to use their DRS, they would have got a key wicket in the dying moments of the game. Pienaar then took a single on the penultimate ball of the game to reduce the equation to one run needed from the last ball of the game. 

From despair to delight: Washington eke out lucky win

Glenn Phillips was on strike and Russell bowled a low full toss at the batter and Phillips couldn’t time the ball well. All the fielders were called inside the circle to stop the single. Jason Holder was standing at mid-on fumbled the ball and eventually dropped the catch. At one stage LAKR players and support staff were celebrating but that turned into shock once the catch went down, as the Washington players were over the moon with the huge slice of luck. 

It was LAKR who batted first and scored 213 runs on the board for the loss of four wickets. Unmukt Chand began well as he scored 41 off 30 balls and added 130 for the first wicket with Andre Fletcher. The veteran West Indian batter scored a brilliant 104 off 60 balls with seven boundaries and six huge sixes. Andre Russell was not out on 30 off just 13 balls with three hits beyond the fence. 

Chasing 214 to win, Washington were given a good start thanks to Mitchell Owen’s 43 off 16 balls. Skipper Glenn Maxwell scored 42 off just 23 balls with the help of two boundaries and three sixes. In the end, Glenn Phillips and Obus Pienaar led the Freedom side to the close win. Phillips was not out on 33, which came off 23 balls with two boundaries and an equal number of sixes, while Pienaar was not out on 23 off 16 balls.