San Francisco Unicorns vs Washington Freedom Preview – MLC 2026 | Statz

16th July 2026

San Francisco Unicorns host Washington Freedom at Oakland Coliseum on Thursday in a Major League Cricket clash that could prove decisive in the playoff race. First ball is at 01:30 UTC (18:30 PDT) on 17 July 2026.

Both sides sit locked on 12 points from 10 matches – Unicorns lead on net run rate at 1st, Freedom in 3rd at -0.399. With four group matches remaining, this is a straight fight for playoff positioning. For full match data, head-to-head records and live projections, check the San Francisco Unicorns vs Washington Freedom fixture page on Statz.

The Venue

Oakland Coliseum is a batting paradise. Across 10 T20 matches here since 2021, the average match total stands at 350.1 runs with 24.2 sixes per game – explosive cricket is the norm. The average first-innings score is 173.8, well above typical T20 par. Boundaries account for 65.6% of all runs scored, underlining how freely batters are hitting.

Seam bowlers have taken 67.4% of wickets at an economy of 9.32, while spinners have been more economical at 8.25 but account for just 28.1% of dismissals. The pitch is tagged as a batting paradise by Statz. San Francisco’s home record here reads W5 L2 from seven matches since 2021, with an average score of 151. Washington’s away record is W4 L3 from seven visits, averaging 132 – a 19-run gap that favours the hosts.

Form and Table

San Francisco Unicorns – 1st (P10 W6 L4, 12 pts)

The Unicorns have won three of their last five matches and sit top on net run rate. Recent form shows a mixed bag – they beat MI New York twice (146/1 in 15.4 overs and 105/4 in 16.5 overs) but lost to Los Angeles Knight Riders twice (180/4 vs 187/3 and 173/10 vs 184/7). The loss to LAKR on 15 July was particularly damaging, bowled out for 173 chasing 184.

Washington Freedom – 3rd (P10 W6 L4, 12 pts)

Washington have won three straight matches and are in excellent form heading into this fixture. They chased down 266/9 against MI New York on 16 July with 8 balls remaining, scoring 270/4 in 18.4 overs – a statement performance. Before that, they beat MI New York (190/5 vs 187/8) and Texas Super Kings (166/7 vs 165/10).

Standings Snapshot

Pos Team P W L Pts NRR
1 San Francisco Unicorns 10 6 4 12 +0.487
2 Los Angeles Knight Riders 10 6 4 12 +0.245
3 Washington Freedom 10 6 4 12 -0.399
4 MI New York 10 5 5 10 -0.158
5 Seattle Orcas 10 4 6 8 +0.034
6 Texas Super Kings 10 3 7 6 -0.158

Three teams are locked on 12 points. San Francisco’s superior net run rate keeps them top, but Washington’s recent form – three straight wins – is the most compelling narrative heading into this fixture.

Head-to-Head

Washington hold the edge in this fixture. In eight meetings between these sides, Washington have won five to San Francisco’s three. The most recent clash came on 29 June 2026 at this ground, where San Francisco chased down 190/4 with ease, scoring 193/2 in just 15.1 overs – a dominant display that showed the Unicorns’ batting firepower at home.

At Oakland Coliseum, the record is split. San Francisco have won their last match here against Washington, but the overall dynamic favours the visitors historically. Washington’s away record at this venue is W4 L3 since 2021, a solid 57% win rate.

Statz Projections

The Statz projections make this a genuine coin-flip contest, with San Francisco holding a marginal edge at home.

If San Francisco bat first: Projected first-innings total of 176.3, match total of 340.4. Win probability – SFU 52.4%, WSF 45.6%. First-innings P10-P90 range: 150 to 202.

If Washington bat first: Projected first-innings total of 174.7, match total of 338.8. Win probability – SFU 46.2%, WSF 51.8%. First-innings P10-P90 range: 147 to 202.

Both projected match totals sit just below the Oakland Coliseum average of 350.1, suggesting the model rates both bowling attacks as capable of restricting scoring. The projected first-innings totals of around 175 are also below the venue average of 173.8 – a tight contest on a ground that typically favours batters.

Competition Season Leaders

Run Scorers – Top 5

Player Team Runs Inn Avg
Lhuan-dre Pretorius San Francisco 447 11 40.64
Andries Gous Washington 434 11 39.45
Nicholas Pooran MI New York 424 11 38.55
Colin Munro Los Angeles 398 10 39.8
Matthew Short San Francisco 392 11 35.64

Wicket-Takers – Top 5

Player Team Wkts Inn Avg
Andre Russell Los Angeles 18 10 1.8
Ottneil Baartman Seattle 18 9 2.0
Matthew Short San Francisco 17 11 1.55
Marcus Stoinis Seattle 16 9 1.78
Jasdeep Singh Seattle 16 10 1.6

San Francisco Season Leaders

Runs: Lhuan-dre Pretorius – 447 runs, avg 40.64, HS 102 | Matthew Short – 392 runs, avg 35.64, HS 94 | Sanjay Krishnamurthi – 183 runs, avg 16.64, HS 65

Wickets: Matthew Short – 17 wkts, avg 1.55 | Brody Couch – 14 wkts, avg 1.27 | Haris Rauf – 10 wkts, avg 1.11

Washington Season Leaders

Runs: Andries Gous – 434 runs, avg 39.45, HS 132 | Mitchell Owen – 376 runs, avg 34.18, HS 155 | Steven Smith – 348 runs, avg 31.64, HS 110

Wickets: Saurabh Netravalkar – 13 wkts, avg 1.3 | Ben Dwarshuis – 11 wkts, avg 1.83 | Ian Holland – 10 wkts, avg 1.11

Predicted XIs

San Francisco Unicorns (based on XI vs Los Angeles Knight Riders, 15 Jul 2026)

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

Washington Freedom (based on XI vs MI New York, 16 Jul 2026)

  1. Steven Smith (c)
  2. Mitchell Owen
  3. Rachin Ravindra
  4. Andries Gous (wk)
  5. Glenn Maxwell
  6. Nikhil Chaudhary
  7. Ben Dwarshuis
  8. Obus Pienaar
  9. Ian Holland
  10. Asif Mehmood
  11. Saurabh Netravalkar

These lineups are based on the most recent match for each team. Always check the fixture page on Statz for toss updates and confirmed XIs on match day.

Dream11 Tips – Captain and Vice Captain

Based on projected fantasy points for players in the most recent XIs:

Captain: Matthew Short (SFU) – projected 104.6 pts. The San Francisco captain is the competition’s third-highest wicket-taker with 17 wickets and has 392 runs at 35.64. His dual all-rounder role across batting and bowling makes him the safest captain choice, with a 90.9% season hit rate for 1+ wicket.

Vice Captain: Ben Dwarshuis (WSF) – projected 103.4 pts. The Washington bowler has taken 11 wickets in just 6 matches at an average of 1.83 per game. His 100% hit rate for 1+ wicket and 83.3% hit rate for 2+ wickets make him exceptionally reliable, with 80% of his last 5 matches yielding 2+ wickets.

Also consider:

Key Players

Matthew Short (San Francisco)

The Unicorns captain is having a phenomenal season. With 392 runs at 35.64 and 17 wickets, Short is the rare all-rounder who impacts both sides of the game. His 81.8% hit rate for 20+ runs and 90.9% hit rate for 1+ wicket make him one of the most consistent performers in the competition. In his last 5 matches, he has scored 20+ runs in 80% of games and taken a wicket in 100% of matches. The Statz bet builder shows his projected 35.3 runs and 0.74 wickets as a genuine dual threat.

Andries Gous (Washington)

The Washington wicketkeeper-batter is the competition’s second-leading run-scorer with 434 runs at 39.45. His high score of 132 demonstrates explosive potential, and his 45.5% hit rate for 30+ runs shows consistency at the top of the order. In his last 5 matches, Gous has scored 20+ runs in 60% of games. His projected 34.2 runs in this fixture make him a cornerstone of Washington’s batting lineup.

Ben Dwarshuis (Washington)

The Washington quick has been exceptional in a limited sample. With 11 wickets in just 6 matches, Dwarshuis averages 1.83 wickets per game – the highest rate among regular bowlers. His 100% hit rate for 1+ wicket and 83.3% hit rate for 2+ wickets make him one of the most reliable wicket-takers in the competition. His projected 1.74 wickets in this fixture suggests he will be a constant threat to San Francisco’s batting order.

Lhuan-dre Pretorius (San Francisco)

The San Francisco wicketkeeper is the competition’s leading run-scorer with 447 runs at 40.64. His high score of 102 and consistent performances make him the anchor of the Unicorns’ batting. Projected for 35.3 runs in this fixture, Pretorius provides the stability that San Francisco need at the top of the order, with a 45.5% hit rate for 30+ runs this season.

Conditions

Clear skies are forecast for Oakland with temperatures around 22 degrees Celsius. Humidity sits at 45% with light winds at 3.2 km/h from the west. No rain is expected – ideal conditions for a full 40 overs of cricket.

Verdict and Betting Angles

This is a coin-flip contest between two evenly matched sides. The Statz projections give San Francisco a 49.3% win probability and Washington 48.7% – nothing is guaranteed here. San Francisco’s home advantage at Oakland Coliseum (W5 L2) and their recent win over Washington (193/2 in 15.1 overs on 29 June) are positives, but Washington’s form – three straight wins – is compelling. Their chase of 266/9 to score 270/4 in 18.4 overs on 16 July showed ruthless execution.

The verdict leans San Francisco at 49.3% win probability, but this is as tight as it gets. Both teams have the batting firepower to post 340+ totals at this venue and the bowling quality to restrict the opposition.

Bet Builder Angles

Head to the Statz bet builder for real-time hit rates and odds on this fixture: