The Knight Riders Cricket Field in Pomona hosted its first-ever competitive game on Thursday, July 2. The Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR) clashed with the Washington Freedom (WAF). The latter emerged victorious in a low-scoring contest by six wickets.

While it wasn't the ideal start for the home team, Los Angeles Knight Riders, it will be a proud moment for the Knight Riders Sports group, as it becomes a part of cricketing folklore in the United States. The picturesque stadium will host six more matches in this year's Major League Cricket (MLC) tournament. It is initially seating up to 5,000 spectators but will be expanded to 12,000 by 2027, and then to 15,000 by 2028 for the Olympics.

For the unversed, cricket is returning to the Olympics after 128 years.

Talking about the match, Los Angeles Knight Riders' captain Jason Holder won the toss and opted to bat first on Thursday. It was a decision that raised a few eyebrows as many expected the winning captain to opt to bowl first at a new venue and assess the conditions first.

The Washington bowlers were remarkable on a sluggish pitch, and they choked the aggressive LAKR batters in the first innings. Rovman Powell was the only LAKR batter to stand out, as he scored 30 off 19 balls, hitting two fours and as many sixes. Saurabh Netravalkar and Mitchell Owen bagged three wickets apiece, while Ben Dwarshuis and Ian Holland chipped in with two scalps apiece.

In reply, Sunil Narine dismissed Mitchell Owen and Andries Gous in his first two overs after taking the new ball.

Steven Smith and Mark Chapman added 62 runs off 54 balls to take the visitors to the brink. After Chapman was dismissed for 34, Nikhil Chaudhary made 15. In the end, Smith and Lahiru Milantha took their team home in 17.1 overs with six wickets to spare. The Australian legend finished as the top-scorer, unbeaten on 40 off 44 balls.