SFU vs WSF Preview – Major League Cricket 2026 | Statz

28th June 2026

The Major League Cricket 2026 season rolls on at the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday night as the San Francisco Unicorns host the Washington Freedom. Both sides are in the bottom half of the table and need wins to keep their playoff hopes alive. SFU sit 5th with 4 points from 4 games (W2 L2), while WSF are rooted to the bottom in 6th with just 2 points from 3 matches (W1 L2). First ball at 7:00 AM IST (2:30 AM BST) on June 29.

The Venue

Oakland Coliseum has been a consistent run-fest this MLC season. Across 14 T20s here, the average first innings score is 185.1 with the team batting first winning 64% of the time. The pitch tag from Statz is “batting paradise” and the numbers back it up – the highest total this season was 269 (SFU vs MINY), while even the lowest was a competitive 127. Pace bowlers have taken 73.2% of wickets at an economy of 8.89, with spin marginally tighter at 8.62. The most recent game here saw SFU scrape home by 2 wickets chasing 191 against Seattle Orcas on June 27.

Form and Table

San Francisco Unicorns are 5th with 4 points from 4 games (W2 L2). Their season results so far:

Washington Freedom are bottom of the table in 6th with 2 points from 3 games (W1 L2). Their season form:

MLC 2026 Standings (top 4):

Pos Team P W L Pts
1 Texas Super Kings 5 3 2 6
2 Los Angeles Knight Riders 3 2 1 4
3 MI New York 4 2 2 4
4 Seattle Orcas 5 2 3 4

SFU (5th, 4pts) and WSF (6th, 2pts) both sit outside the playoff places. With plenty of games still to play, a win here could shift the entire picture – particularly for Washington who have a game in hand on most sides.

Head-to-Head

These two have met 6 times since 2023 (Statz data), with Washington Freedom leading the series 4-2. The last meeting was on 28 June 2025 at Grand Prairie Stadium where WSF posted 169/6 and defended it comfortably, winning by 12 runs.

However, the most relevant data point is what happened the last time these sides met at Oakland Coliseum. On 13 June 2025, the Unicorns posted a massive 269/5 and bowled Washington out for 146 to win by 123 runs. SFU’s record at Oakland overall this season is superb – 4 wins from 5 matches.

Statz Projections

In the SFU batting first scenario, Statz projections give the Unicorns a 50.8% win probability against Washington’s 47.2%. The projected first innings total is 177.1 (P10: 150, P90: 205), which sits just below the venue average of 185.1. The projected match total of 342.8 is above the ground average of 330.8, suggesting both batting lineups should fire. If Washington bat first, they are slight favourites at 53.8% to SFU’s 44.2% – the toss could be decisive.

MLC 2026 Season Leaders

Orange Cap (Top Run Scorers):

  1. Tim Seifert (SO) – 256 runs in 5 innings
  2. Lhuan-dre Pretorius (SFU) – 231 runs in 4 innings
  3. Mitchell Owen (WSF) – 221 runs in 3 innings
  4. Shayan Jahangir (SO) – 191 runs in 5 innings
  5. Faf du Plessis (TSK) – 172 runs in 4 innings

Purple Cap (Top Wicket Takers):

  1. Jasdeep Singh (SO) – 11 wickets in 5 innings
  2. Ottneil Baartman (SO) – 10 wickets in 5 innings
  3. Andre Russell (LAKR) – 8 wickets in 3 innings
  4. Corbin Bosch (MINY) – 8 wickets in 4 innings
  5. Amshi de Silva (TSK) – 8 wickets in 5 innings

SFU Season Leaders: Lhuan-dre Pretorius leads the runs with 231 at an average of 57.75 (HS: 87), followed by Matthew Short with 99 at 24.75 (HS: 31). With the ball, Brody Couch, Peter Siddle, and Short all share the lead with 6 wickets each.

WSF Season Leaders: Mitchell Owen dominates with 221 runs at a stunning average of 73.67 (HS: 155), with Mark Chapman next on 87 at 29 (HS: 57). Ian Holland leads the wickets with 5 in 3 innings, followed by Marco Jansen with 4.

Predicted XIs

San Francisco Unicorns (based on XI vs Seattle Orcas, 27 Jun 2026):

  1. Lhuan-dre Pretorius (wk)
  2. Finn Allen
  3. Matthew Short (c)
  4. Sanjay Krishnamurthi
  5. Aaron Hardie
  6. Hammad Azam
  7. Hassan Khan
  8. Brody Couch
  9. Ghulam Mudassar
  10. Haris Rauf
  11. Xavier Bartlett

Washington Freedom (based on XI vs Seattle Orcas, 26 Jun 2026):

  1. Steven Smith (c)
  2. Mitchell Owen
  3. Mark Chapman
  4. Glenn Maxwell
  5. Jack Edwards
  6. Andries Gous (wk)
  7. Obus Pienaar
  8. Marco Jansen
  9. Ian Holland
  10. Amila Aponso
  11. Saurabh Netravalkar

Note: Always check the Statz fixture page for toss updates and confirmed lineups.

Dream11 Tips – Captain and Vice Captain

Captain: Aaron Hardie (SFU) – projected 97.4 Dream11 points. The Australian all-rounder offers value with both bat and ball, projected to contribute 24.4 runs and 1.11 wickets in the SFU batting first scenario.

Vice Captain: Matthew Short (SFU) – projected 86.0 Dream11 points. The Unicorns captain is projected for 27.3 runs at a strike rate of 145.3, plus 0.56 wickets with his off-spin. Short has taken at least 1 wicket in every MLC 2026 game.

Other picks to consider:

Key Players

Lhuan-dre Pretorius (SFU) – The South African has been sensational, sitting 2nd on the Orange Cap standings with 231 runs in just 4 innings. His 20+ runs hit rate this season is 75% and his 30+ hit rate is also 75% – the most reliable batting pick in this fixture. Scores of 87, 69, and 17 in his last three show consistent output at the top of the order.

Mitchell Owen (WSF) – Washington’s explosive opener averages 73.67 this season with a highest score of 155 against MI New York. His 20+ runs hit rate is 66.7% and he is projected for 23.5 runs at a blistering strike rate of 191.3. When Owen fires, Washington are a completely different side.

Aaron Hardie (SFU) – The top-projected Dream11 player in this fixture with 97.4 points. Hardie’s dual threat of 24.4 projected runs and 1.11 projected wickets at an economy of 9.02 makes him the standout all-rounder pick. His medium pace adds variety to SFU’s bowling attack alongside the express pace of Rauf and Bartlett.

Ian Holland (WSF) – The American all-rounder has taken a wicket in every MLC 2026 appearance, carrying a 100% hit rate for 1+ wicket this season (5 wickets in 3 innings). Projected for 77.2 Dream11 points with 1.38 projected wickets at an economy of 8.66 – Washington’s most consistent wicket-taking option.

Conditions

Clear skies forecast with a temperature of 24°C, humidity at 37%, and light wind at 6.3 km/h. Perfect conditions for batting under the California night sky.

Verdict and Betting Angles

San Francisco Unicorns get the nod here. Their 4-1 record at Oakland Coliseum this season is outstanding, and the last time these sides met at this ground, SFU posted 269/5 and won by 123 runs. Washington were blown away by Seattle Orcas just two days ago (139/10), and their bottom-of-the-table position reflects a side still searching for consistency. The Statz model has this as a coin flip at 50.8% in the SFU batting first scenario, but the home form tips it towards the Unicorns.

Odds are not yet available for this fixture – check the Statz fixture page closer to match time for live odds.

Bet builder angles (check Statz Cricket Bet Builder for live odds):