Netravalkar to Ruben Clinton, no run, short of a good length and just outside off, defended off the back-foot to cover-point
Saurabh Netravalkar, left-arm fast medium, comes into the attack
0.6
Marco Jansen to Monank Patel, no run
0.5
Marco Jansen to Ruben Clinton, 1 run, to cover
0.4
Marco Jansen to Ruben Clinton, SIX, to deep square leg
0.3
Marco Jansen to Ruben Clinton, no run, short of a good length and well wide of off, Clinton throws his hands on the drive and is beaten by a long way
0.2
Marco Jansen to Ruben Clinton, no run, beaten, short of a good length and holding its line outside off - Clinton was playing for the angler as he pushed forward and is beaten on the outside edge
0.1
Marco Jansen to Ruben Clinton, no run, short of a good length and just outside off - Clinton hops across and defends it to the off-side
Ruben Clinton and Monank Patel are at the crease. Ruben Clinton is on strike. Marco Jansen will open the attack
The match officials and the two teams are out for the national anthem of USA
Teams:
MI New York (Playing XI): Ruben Clinton, Monank Patel, Nicholas Pooran(w), Shayan Jahangir, Kieron Pollard(c), Tim David, Rashid Khan, Nosthush Kenjige, Ehsan Adil, Trent Boult, Anrich Nortje
Washington Freedom (Playing XI): Travis Head, Andries Gous(w), Steven Smith(c), Glenn Maxwell, Obus Pienaar, Mukhtar Ahmed, Akeal Hosein, Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Justin Dill, Saurabh Netravalkar
Kieron Pollard - We need to bat and bat well. The important thing was recovery, it was very hot, we're looking to improve on our game further. We were good yesterday, we'll have to do the same in less than 24 hours now. We don't want to depend on one individual with the bat, our bowlers were excellent yesterday. We have one change - Nosthush Kenjige comes in place of Steven Taylor
Steven Smith - We'll bowl. Looks like a nice surface to bowl first. We have a good squad with experience and some good locals, was a great tournament last year,m good to be here this season. The training has been good and we're excited to start the season. Gous and Netravalkar are our excellent local players.
Washington Freedom have won the toss and have opted to field
It is seriously hot, there are a couple of green areas, the bounce could be variable with the odd one climbing onto the batter. Batting will be tough against the new ball, reckons Mike Haysman, in his pitch report
14:00 Local Time, 18:00 GMT, 23:30 IST: Less than 24 hours after kicking off their title defence with a fine win over the Seattle Orcas, MI New York are back in action today against Washington Freedom, a team that has rung in the changes following a poor season last year. They have some big signings with the Australian trio of Travis Head, Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell, making the headlines. Can they start this season well? They're up against the champions and need to be at their very best to be competitive. The pitch in Morrisville was slightly tacky yesterday, has it settled down ahead of today's encounter? Toss and team news coming up shortly
Preview:
Early days into the 2024 MLC season and Washington Freedom are set to play their first game when they face MI New York at Churchstreet Park, Morrisville. The defending champions started their season off in style with a six-wicket win over Seattle Orcas in a low-scoring game at this venue. Trent Boult and Rashid Khan headlined New York's victory on a tricky surface while Nicholas Pooran also blasted a cameo to make short work of the chase. Kieron Pollard's men look a well-rounded unit with a potent bowling attack to go with their power-packed batting line-up. They'll be keen to keep the winning momentum going.
Meanwhile, Washington Freedom are quietly confident after having revamped their roster for this season. With the likes of Glenn Maxwell, Travis Head and Steve Smith in the mix, the side looks fresher to the one that competed last year. Ricky Ponting's appointment as head coach further bolsters the franchise's credentials. The bowling also has a good assortment of quality and variety with the likes of Lockie Ferguson, Marco Jansen and Saurabh Netravalkar leading the way. On paper, Freedom look like a rejuvenated side that's capable of beating anyone in the competition. If they play to their potential, they could stretch the dominant MI New York outfit.
When: Saturday, July 6 at 3 PM local/ 12.30 am IST (July 7)
Where: Church Street Park, Morrisville
What to expect: The first game that featured MI New York and Seattle Orcas was a low-scoring affair with seamers ruling the roost. The pitch might have gotten time to settle but it should still be another challenging deck on offer.
Teams watch
MI New York
The defending champions had the perfect start to the season. They may have lost a few more wickets than they'd have liked in the run chase but it was a clinical effort overall. It is unlikely that there would be any changes to the XI that played against Seattle.
Probable XI: Ruben Clinton, Monank Patel, Nicholas Pooran(wk), Shayan Jahangir, Tim David, Kieron Pollard(c), Steven Taylor, Rashid Khan, Ehsan Adil, Trent Boult, Anrich Nortje
Washington Freedom
With a largely new-look squad to pick from, Freedom are expected to unleash all of their new signings straightaway in this clash. Travis Head should take up his customary opening slot with Andries Gous while Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Rachin Ravindra form the crux of an exciting middle order.
MI New York
Washington Freedom
