San Francisco Unicorns (SFU) will honk with Washington Freedom (WF) in the eliminator 2 Major League Cricket (MLC) 2026 today at the Oakland Coliseum. The stakes couldn’t be higher, with the winner advancing to the tournament final against Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR)Who confirmed their place by defeating Unicorns in Qualifier 1.
Both the teams entered the match after contrasting performances. San Francisco Unicorns, led by matthew shorts 94 not out and Sanjay Krishnamurthy’s Fighting 65 suffered a close seven-run defeat to Los Angeles Knight Riders in Qualifier 1.
Meanwhile, Washington Freedom heads into eliminator on high Andries Gus And steven smith Scored a brilliant century to pull off the most successful run chase in T20 history against MI New York. With the Freedom gaining momentum and the Unicorns eager to return, 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 won independence: 4 | San Francisco Unicorns won: 3
Oakland Coliseum Pitch Report
The Oakland Coliseum has consistently produced high-scoring encounters throughout MLC 2026, and a more batting-friendly surface is expected for Eliminator 2. More than 500 runs were scored in the last match at the venue, highlighting the true nature of the wicket and the quick outfield.
While the batsmen are expected to dominate once they settle in, the fast bowlers may get some assistance from the new ball due to its hint of lateral movement during the powerplay. However, as the innings progress, it generally becomes easier to make strokes. A score of over 200 may once again be required in the first innings, with the captain winning the toss likely to bowl first.
squads
San Francisco Unicorn: Matthew Short (captain), Luan-Dre Pretorius (wk), Finn Allen, Sanjay Krishnamurthy, Aaron Hardy, Hasan Khan, Hammad Azam, Brodie Couch, Xavier BartlettGhulam Mudassar, Haris Rauf, Peter Siddle, Zia-ul-Haq, Mohammad Ilyas, Drew Gomel, Cooper Connolly, Connor Esterhuizen, Saideep Ganesh, Stephen Wiig, Oliver Peak, Juwan Drysdale, Anirudh Emmanuel
Washington Independence: Steven Smith (captain), Andries Ghouse (wk), Mitchell Owen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Maxwell, Nikhil Choudhary, Ben Dwarshuis, Obas Pienaar, Ian Holland, Asif Mahmood, Saurabh Netrawalkar, Mark Chapman, Amilla Aponso, Yasir Mohammed, Mukhtar Ahmed, Lockie Ferguson, Lahiru Milantha, Jack Edwards, Marco Johnson, Abhishek Paradkar
SFU vs WF, MLC 2026, Today Match Prediction
Case 1:
- SFU won the toss and bowled first
- WF’s powerplay score: 60-65
- WF Total Score: 200-210
Case 2:
- WF won the toss and bowled first
- SFU’s powerplay score: 55-60
- SFU’s total score: 190-200
Match Result: The team bowling first won the competition.
