SFU vs WF Ball by Ball Commentary

Fullish length at the stumps, Xavier Bartlett hits it down to long on for just a single and that will be it. Washington Freedom hold on for dear life and manage to beat San Francisco Unicorns by 7 runs, sailing into the final.

Beaten! That should do it! Owen goes seam-up and darts it just across the off stump from around the wicket. Xavier Bartlett hangs back and swings across the line but is beaten on the angle.

Just a single. Excellent from Owen as he bowls it full and on off. Short only manages to jam it down to long off for a single. 9 needed off 2 balls.

Would you believe it? Not once but Andries Gous has missed the run-out opportunity twice. Full and around off, Matthew Short hits it down to long off and the batters push hard for two. Bartlett is quick to turn back but Short is labouring a bit. The throw does come in at the right end, towards the keeper. Gous flicks off one bail before even collecting the ball and then he misses the run out on the next attempt, finally managing to dislodge the bails on the second attempt. Short dives in and the third umpire confirms that he's in.

FOUR! Not a bad delivery, but Short has managed to get it away. Matthew Short shuffles to the off side, exposing the leg stump and Owen tries to go for the yorker across the right-hander. It is very full, and Short manages to flick it to the right of short fine leg for a boundary.

SIX! Poor delivery to start the final over. Pitched fuller and on the legs, Matthew Short comes forward and whips it off the legs over deep backward square leg for a biggie. 16 needed now off 5 balls.

Wow, just 7 off the 19th over. A low full toss, Short leans on and hits it down to long off for just a single.

Great work in the deep, just two more runs. Slower one on the pads, picked up high and down to deep backward square leg. Mitchell Owen runs around to his right from the square leg fence and manages to flick it back in.

This is turning out to be a match-winning over from Saurabh Netravalkar. A straight yorker, bowled perfectly on middle. Bartlett hangs back and drills it down to long on for a fourth single in the over.

Full and straight again, swung away down to deep mid-wicket for just another single.

That's another top delivery. Yorker-length again, at the toes, jammed away in front of mid-wicket for a single. They think about two again, but won't get it.

Thinking about two, but they won't get it. A skiddy yorker on the legs, Short clips it towards deep mid-wicket for a single.

Just back of a length, around off, dabbed away in front of covers for one more. 19 off the over, 29 needed now off 12 balls.

Slower one, on a good length and wide outside off. Bartlett hits it down to long off for a single.

SIX! The Aussies are fighting it out amongst each other. What a shot, though. Dug in short and around off, Bartlett gets across a bit and wallops it a long way over deep mid-wicket for another biggie. The camera pans to the Washington coach Ricky Ponting, who seems absolutely livid.

SIX! Up and away! On the shorter side again, straighter in line as well. Xavier Bartlett stays inside the line and heaves it handsomely over deep backward square leg for a biggie.

Back of a length, angled across off. Short leans back to pull but gets an inside edge past leg stump for a single.

FOUR! Fast hands from Matthew Short, and he brings up a stellar HUNDRED. Fractionally short on middle and leg, Matt whips it off his hips and flat-bats it to the right of deep mid-wicket for a boundary. He raises his bat to the applause of the crowd, but his job is far from done.

Oh, that's well bowled. A yorker, right on leg stump. Bartlett hangs back and nudges it into the vacant space at mid-wicket, hustling back for two runs. 48 needed now off 18 balls.

Netravalkar sees Short moving to the off side and takes pace off, bowling it wide outside off. Short taps it through extra cover for a single.

FOUR! Up and over. Slightly short but wide outside off. Short goes after the width and flays it over point for a boundary. 51 neded now off 20 balls.

Hit with disdain but straight to the fielder. Full and straight, drilled to a straightish long on for just a single.

SIX! Pumped over the fence. Another pace off delivery, back of a length and outside off. Bartlett hangs back and forces the pull, flat and over cow corner for a maximum.

Slower one, bowled fuller and well wide outside the off stump. Bartlett fails to reach it and no wide is called either.

SIX! The skipper keeping the chase alive for the Unicorns. Tossed up outside off, Matthew Short skips down the track and goes inside-out over covers for a biggie.

WIDE! Bowled flatter, well wide outside the off stump. Left alone by Short.

Tossed up this time, fuller on off. Bartlett toe-ends the drives, straight back down the ground and turns the strike over.

Good length at the stumps, hit away through mid-wicket for a run.

Fired in on a length, wide outside off. Short toe ends it to cover this time.

FOUR! Fired in full and around off. Matthew Short runs down the wicket, backs away and smears it past covers for another boundary.

FOUR! Just the start to the over SFU would have wanted. Flatter one, on a good length and on off. Short moves a bit inside the line and thwacks it flat over the bowler's head for a boundary.

They had to push for two, and that's good running. Back of a length on middle, Xavier Bartlett nudges it down in front of the vacant mid-wicket region and the batters race back for the second run. 79 needed now off 30 balls.

OUT! CAUGHT! High on the bat, and another one bites the dust for the Unicorns. Ben Dwarshuis bowls this one much quicker and digs it in short over middle and leg. Hammad Azam is taken aback as he tries to pull but gets rushed off the deck. Azam ends up lifting it down to long on, where Nikhil Chaudhary comes in a few steps and takes a simple catch. Matthew Short is running out of partners and SFU are running out of wickets.

Looking for two but they won't get it. Pitched up on off and middle, Matthew Short punches it back down the ground and to the right of long off for a single.

WIDE! Slower one, back of a length and well wide outside the off stump.

FOUR! Not out of the middle, but Short does find the gap. Slow and short, around the hips. Short waits back and swings it between deep backward square leg and deep mid-wicket for a boundary.

Full again, at the batter, Azam comes forward, looking to hit straight but misses. The ball goes off the pads to the off side and a single is taken.

A stifled appeal for LBW, but that's pitching outside leg. A skiddy delivery, a bit fuller and around leg. Azam sits down to scoop but fails to get it away.

Full and darted into the pads, Azam miscues the lap towards short fine leg and picks up a single.

SIX! Fractionally short on middle, Hammad Azam rocks back and forces the pull shot over cow corner for a maximum. 150 up for the Unicorns as well.

Full and on off, darted in. Azam jams it out to covers.

OUT! CAUGHT! High up in the air but not long enough. Nikhil Chaudhary tosses up the leg-break delivery, bowling it a bit full and outside off. Hassan Khan sits down and goes after it but ends up skying it down to long off. Steve Smith goes back and touches the toblerone, to ascertain where the boundary rope is and comes back in, taking the catch well inside the ropes. 95 needed now off 39 balls.

Flighted ball, wide outside off, Hassan Khan opens the bat face and goes after it, slicing it up and over backward point for a couple of runs.

Fired in, full and wide outside off. Short shuffles across and gets an inside edge off the pads towards square leg for a single.

Slightly into the pitch, pushed across off. Short comes down the track and hits it away wide of mid on for a single.

FOUR! Owen tries to go full and wide, and nearly nails it as well. Matthew Short skips down the track to convert it into a hlf-volley and slaps it away through covers for a boundary.

Pitched full and in the blockhole around off, slower oo. Khan skews it off the inner half of the blade through mid-wicket for just a single.

Pace off again, just back of a length and around off. Khan swings across the line but misses.

Owen takes pace off and pushes it wide of the off stump. Short stands tall and taps it down to long off for a single.

FOUR! That nearly went all the way. Dug in short on leg, Matthew Short swivels and pulls it flat and one-bounce over the long leg fence.

op over from Chaudhary, just 5 off it. This is tossed up, wide outside off, turning away a bit. Hassan Khan throws his hands at it but fails to connect. 109 more needed off 48 balls.

Bowled flatter and at the stumps, punched down the ground for a run.

WIDE! Oh, that's a close call. Tossed up, a bit fuller and flirting with the tramline outside off. Matthew Short leaves it alone and the umpire does call it a wide.

Flatter one outside off, smacked away towards long off for just another single.

Full and straight, Short comes down the pitch and hits it to long on for one more.

Tossed up a bit, fuller and wider outside off. Khan goes after it but smothers it down to long off for a single.

Quick and darted in from well outside off. Khan cuts it straight to point.

Slower one, back of a length and on off. Hit away down to long off for a single. Just 9 off the over despite the maximum.

Another slower one, pitched up around off. Khan gets forward and nudges it down to the left of point.

A leg cutter now, in the channel outside off and skids through. Khan hangs back to hit it through the off side but misses.

Hard length wide outside off, dabbed away down past the point fielder for a couple of runs in the deep.

SIX! BANG! Pitched fuller on middle and leg, Khan stands well outside his crease and whips it over deep mid-wicket for a big maximum.

On a good length, pitched a bit outside off. Hassan Khan squeezes it away to cover-point.

Flatter one at the stumps, Khan stays compact and pushes it down to long on for a single. SFU are 116/4 after 10 overs.

SIX! Wow, Hassan Khan doesn't want any sighters. Dragged well short on off, Khan rocks back and swings it away high and handsomely over the mid-wicket fence for a biggie.

OUT! LBW! A confident appeal for LBW, and up goes the finger. Aaron Hardie does review it, but it did seem pretty adjacent. Rachin Ravindra tosses the ball up, on a length and pushes it towards the stumps. Hardie gets across to the off side and looks to sweep it away but misses and gets pinged on the pads. The third umpire confirms with UltraEdge first and doesn't find any bat involved. Ball Tracking shows the impact and wickets, both as umpire's call, which means the on-field call stands and Hardie cannot believe it.

Fired in at the batter, Short comes down the track and flicks it uppishly towards long on for another single.

Floated up on middle and eg, eased down to long on for one more.

Into the pitch and darted well outside off, Short goes after it and snatches it back past the bowler, down to long on and for a single.

Just 4 runs and a wicket off that over. Good-length delivery, pushed across the off stump. Short advances down the pitch and hits it hard towards wide long off for just another single.

A full ball, darted in quicker at the pads. Hardie whips it down to deep square leg for just one more.

Slower one from around the wicket, bowled fuller and angled across off. Short hits it down to wide long off for one more.

A bit fuller and around off, stroked on the up and towards sweeper cover for a single.

Just back of a length, over off and middle. Hardie blocks it off.

OUT! CAUGHT! Mitchell Owen comes back stronger, but that's a stellar catch from Nikhil Chaudhary. This is dug in short and outside off. Sanjay Krishnamurthi stands tall and drags the pull flat and hard to the right of deep mid-wicket. Chaudhary charges across to his right and dives in to take a fine low catch. He is absolutely pumped and Krishnamurthi has to depart.

SIX! FIFTY up in style for the Unicorns' skipper. Fuller one, drifted into the stumps. Matthew Short skips down the pitch and heaves it over long on for a biggie. 100 up for San Francisco Unicorns as well.

Bowled quick and flat, outside off. Short pushes it down to covers.

PUT DOWN? Does seem like it. Rachin Ravindra bowls it into the pitch and Matthew Short gets pegged back as he looks to pull. Ends up slapping it down to the bowler. Ravindra dives to his right and just fails to keep hold of the ball inches above the ground.

FOUR! Sluggish from Saurabh Netravalkar and that's gone to the fence. Floated up wide outside off, Short goes after it and gets an outside edge, fine of short third. Netravalkar doesn't put in the dive and the ball races away to the fence.

Flatter one darted into the pads, tucked away through square leg for a single.

SIX! Swung away over the fence. Bowled into the pitch and over middle, Krishnamurthi leans across to the off side and gets inside the line, shovelling it over fine leg for a maximum.

SIX! Short spoils the over for Holland and that's been hammered into the sightscreen. Too full on middle, right in the slot. Short swings through the line and nails it over the bowler's head for a biggie.

Back of a length and over middle, swung away towards deep mid-wicket for a fifth straight single in the over.

Slower one at 108.2 kph, outside off. Short comes forward to go after it but miscues it towards short third for another single.

Holland keeps spearing it in, this time on middle. Krishnamurthi digs it out firmly down to long on and turns the strike over.

Nice and full again, Short shows the full face of the bat and drives it down to long off for one more.

A full ball on off, jammed down through mid off for a single by Krishnamurthi.

Finally, the end of the Powerplay, and SFU are 74/2. Hard length over middle, hit away through mid-wicket for a couple of runs. 28 off the over, 165 more needed off 84 balls.

SIX! Matthew Short takes full toll of the Free Hit, but wait. The siren has gone off again. Mitchell Owen flirts with the line again and bowls another No Ball. This is full and on off, Short lifts it straight back over the bowler's head and sends it sailing over the ropes.

Three dots and three sixes in the over, but hang on. The siren has gone off and Mitchell Owen has overstepped here. Fullish length around off, smothered away towards cover. No Bll called and Free Hit to follow a well.

Much better from Owen. Yorker-length delivery, jammed in at the toes, and Short fails to get it away.

SIX! A hat-trick of sixes and Short is finishing the Powerplay with a flourish. Pace off from Owen, on a length and outside off. Matthew Short comes down the pitch and tonks it over wide long off for another biggie.

SIX! Another one. Fuller in length, straighter in line as well. Short hits through the line and hammers it over the long on fence for another maximum.

SIX! Crunched for a flat six. Banged in slow and short on off, sits up for the batter. Matthew Short swings it away towards cow corner for a maximum. 50 up for San Francisco Unicorns.

On a good length, around the top of off. Short jams it down to mid off.

Pitched fuller and in the channel, gets the off-cutter to angle across the right-hander. Sanjay Krishnamurthi ends up playing inside the line.

OUT! CAUGHT! Sensational hands from Steve Smith and the slower one does work out eventually for Saurabh Netravalkar. Another off-cutter, pitched on a length and outside off, there to be hit. Finn Allen has to reach for it a bit and he slaps it flat and hard but doesn't quite get the elevation. Smith leaps up to his left at mid off and snaffles it with both hands. SFU are 46/2, chasing 239.

WIDE! Another attempted off cutter, pitched well wide of the off stump line, and left alone by Allen.

Fuller this time, hit along the turf towards mid off and Short scampers through for a quick single this time.

Finds the fielder again, does Short. The off-cutter now, back of a length and outside off. Short leans into the shot and smacks it down to mid off.

WIDE! Attempted slower one, pitched full and well wide of the off stump line.

Sweetly timed but straight to the fielder. Good length around off, pummeled on the up by Short but straight to mid off.

Slower and slightly into the pitch, outside off. Allen backs away and slaps it down to the left of long on for just a single.

Good bowling from Dwarshuis. Another slower one, on a length and around off. This is patted down to mid off for a single.

Slower one, on a good length and sliding it across off. Short stands tall and hits it off the inside edge towards mid-wicket for a run.

A frustrated grunt from Short as he knows he should have put it away. Length ball around the pads, Short looks to flick it fine but misses and gets it off the pads towards short fine leg.

Pitched fuller and on middle, Short gets forward and punches it back into the deck, straight back to the bowler.

Hard length at the stumps, Allen has a hoick across the line but gets it more off the inner half of the blade and wide of mid-wicket for a single.

FOUR! Down the wrong line and put away with ease. A slower slider on the pads, Allen flicks it away fine of the short fine leg fielder and helps himself to another boundary.

Hammered in on a hard length, outside off. Allen pats it down to covers for a single.

FOUR! Innovative from Allen. Full and around off, Allen shuffles to the off side and laps it easily over short fine leg for a third boundary in the over.

That's a save and a half from Nikhil Chaudhary. Shortish length on leg, whipped off the hips and down to the right of deep backward square leg. Chaudhary runs across and dives i, plucking the ball nonchalantly with his right hand, and he saves three runs for his side.

FOUR! That's been timed to perfection. Full-pitched delivery on off and middle, Matthew Short shows the full face of the blade and drills the drive back past the bowler for another boundary.

FOUR! High on the bat but in the gap. A skiddy short ball over off and middle, Short lays into the pull and hits it aerially to the left of deep square leg for a boundary.

Asif starts with a length ball around off. Allen smacks the drive to wide long off for a single.

Half an appeal for caught behind, but that seems to have flicked the pads. Full on leg, shaping in, Short looks to flick it away but misses. 10 runs and a wicket off that over.

OUT! CAUGHT! Ben Dwarshuis does have the last laugh in this battle and Lhuan-dre Pretorius has to walk back early. Dwarshius cleverly takes pace off the ball and bangs it in a bit short on off. Pretorius goes after it and looks to swing it leg side but gets it off the toe end of the bat. The ball goes high up towards the mid-wicket region, where Obus Pienaar moves to his left and takes a fine catch. SFU are 20/1.

A quick and short ball around off, moving a bit in the air as well. Pretorius looks to drag the pull leg side but fails to connect.

Oh, that's swung a bit too much. Full and straight, swings back into the left-hander. Pretorius looks to whip it leg side but the ball goes between bat and pad and just misses the leg stump by a whisker.

SIX! Powered down the ground. Dug in marginally short and around off, Pretorius short-arm jabs it over long on and picks up a maximum now.

FOUR! Not where Pretorius intended that to go, but he'll take it. On a hard length but wide outside off, Pretorius goes after it and skews it offthe outside half of the blade and over backward point for a boundary.

Hard length on off, jammed down to mid off for a single. SFU are 10/0 after one.

SIX! That's gone deep into the stands and that is six number 600 of this MLC season, according to the on-air commentators. Fractionally short and just outside off, Lhuan-dre Pretorius picks it up and hooks it over deep square leg for a biggie.

Back of a length, over middle, Pretorius dabs it down firmly to mid on.

Another risky single and the throw ends up hitting Pretorius. Good-length delivery on middle and leg, Allen tucks it to the right of mid-wicket and sets off for the single. The fielder has a shy at the keeper's end, but the throw is actually well off target.

Pretorius is off the mark with a quick single. Hard length around middle, pushed away in fornt of mid on an dthe batters scamper across with ease.

Much better from Netravalkar. Good length on off, hint of away movement as well. Lhuan-dre Pretorius gets half a stride in and blocks it off.

WIDE! Too short to begin with. Banged in halfway down the track and outside off. Lhuan-dre Pretorius goes after it but misses.