Marcus Stoinis produced a stunning display of power hitting in the 17th over, smashing five sixes off Seattle Washington Freedom’s Ian Holland to turn the match decisively in favor of the Seattle Orcas in their MLC 2026 clash at the Oakland Coliseum.The Australian all-rounder got off to a slow start, managing just 4 runs off his first six deliveries, but turned the script around in spectacular fashion. Taking full advantage of the death overs, Stoinis hits for Holland, clearing the boundary five times in the over to collect 30 runs and change the momentum completely.He didn’t finish there. In the follow-up, Stoinis launched Marco Jansen for another big six before being caught on the next ball. His explosive cameo of 42 off just 16 deliveries, with six sixes, came to a whopping 262.50.
The Seattle Orcas took down the Washington Freedom by 88 runs
Asked to bat first, the Seattle Orcas overcame a steady start with a spectacular display of power hitting led by Shimron Hetmyer. The West Indian batsman lit up the Oakland Coliseum with a blistering 79 off 33 balls, smashing nine sixes and two fours to put the Freedom bowlers under immense pressure.He received excellent support from skipper Marcus Stoinis, who made a whirlwind 42 off just 16 deliveries, including six sixes, while opener Tim Seifert set the platform with a spirited 37 off 20 balls. Although Marco Jansen impressed with figures of 3/33, Seattle finished on a daunting 227/6, leaving the Washington Freedom in hot pursuit.The reply never gained momentum as Jasdeep Singh bowled a devastating spell with the new ball. The right-arm seamer is at his best, finishing with outstanding figures of 5/24 in four overs to put Liberty on the back foot right from the start.Washington’s stellar batting line-up crumbled under pressure, with Steven Smith (1), Glenn Maxwell (0) and Mitchell Owen (5) all falling cheaply as the side slumped to 50/7 inside the first eight overs.A late counter-attack from Amila Aponso, who hit 31 off 13 balls, and Ian Holland (26) added respectability to the score, but the outcome was not in doubt. Cameron Gannon chipped in with 2/16 as the Washington Freedom were eventually bowled out for 139 in 16.2 overs, giving the Seattle Orcas a convincing 88-run win.
