During the Major League Cricket match between the Los Angeles Knight Riders and Washington Freedom at Church Street Park in Morrisville on Sunday, Andre Russell delivered a powerful ball that struck Travis Head’s bat with such force it broke the bat in two. Despite this, Head showed incredible resilience, continuing his impressive performance to score 54 runs off just 32 balls, hitting 2 fours and 6 sixes.
The Los Angeles Knight Riders, having been sent in to bat by Washington Freedom’s captain Steve Smith, managed to score only 129 runs in 18.4 overs. This was largely due to superb bowling by Saurabh Netravalkar, who took 4 wickets for 35 runs, and Glenn Maxwell, who took 3 wickets for 15 runs.
While chasing the target of 130 runs, Washington Freedom’s openers Head and Smith provided a strong start with a partnership of 79 runs, making the run-chase easy. However, in the second over of their innings, Russell bowled a fast, short-pitched delivery that broke Head’s bat into two pieces as he attempted a pull shot. The ball hit the upper part of the bat, leaving Head with just the handle while the rest of the bat flew towards mid-wicket.
This unexpected incident left Head visibly surprised, and his reaction went viral on social media. Nonetheless, Head went on to score 54 runs off 32 balls, helping Washington Freedom secure a magnificent eight-wicket win.
After the match, Head commented, “The pitch was on the slower side and took more spin than previous games. It was nice to get a few good shots and secure a win. It felt great to play the entire match and get some luck. The crowd’s energy was amazing, and it helped us maximize our performance when Smithy and I were batting. I’m looking forward to the rest of the tournament.”
