Finn Allen's Record-Breaking 151 Leads Unicorns To Big Win In MLC 2025 Opener
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Finn Allen's 51-ball 151 led the San Francisco Unicorns to a 123-run win over Washington Freedom in MLC 2025, breaking multiple T20 records including most sixes in an innings.
Finn Allen dazzled on the opening night of Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 with an extraordinary innings, blasting a 51-ball 151 to propel the San Francisco Unicorns to a commanding 123-run victory over defending champions Washington Freedom.
Allen's remarkable performance shattered multiple records. He became the fastest player to score 150 in T20 history and surpassed Chris Gayle's long-standing record of 18 sixes in a T20 innings by hitting 19 sixes. His explosive start came right from the first over, launching his first six with a daring lap shot.
Though Tim Seifert contributed a brief cameo before being dismissed early, and Jake Fraser-McGurk had another disappointing outing, Allen dominated from one end. Sanjay Krishnamurthi added to the excitement by hitting four sixes in an over off Rachin Ravindra — a feat Ravindra himself replicated during the chase.
Allen struck three consecutive sixes off both Mitchell Owen and fellow Kiwi Glenn Phillips, reaching 86 off just 28 balls. His century, which came off only 34 deliveries, set a new MLC record, surpassing Nicholas Pooran's 40-ball ton. With seven overs still remaining, Allen continued to accumulate runs, and when he hit his 18th six, the Unicorns had already posted the highest total in MLC history.
He reached 150 off just 49 balls, again setting new T20 cricket records. Gayle's record for the highest individual score in T20s was in jeopardy, but Allen's remarkable innings ended when he miscued a shot to long-on. Hassan Khan then added the finishing touches with an unbeaten 38, taking the Unicorns to a colossal 270.
Washington Freedom showed early promise in the chase as Mitchell Owen and Rachin Ravindra hammered 79 runs in the first five overs, hinting at an improbable victory. However, their momentum faltered after Fraser-McGurk took a brilliant catch and a mix-up in the next over led to both openers falling in quick succession.
From a strong 80/0, Freedom crumbled to 117/8, with the innings unraveling rapidly. Haris Rauf turned the game decisively, trapping Glenn Maxwell lbw and bowling Phillips in the same over. Hassan Khan and Carmie le Roux contributed as wickets continued to fall in clusters, with Freedom losing two wickets per over at one point. Rauf sealed the outcome with his third wicket, wrapping up the innings with 41 balls to spare, giving the Unicorns a dominant start to their campaign.
Brief scores: San Francisco Unicorns 269/5 in 20 overs (Finn Allen 151, Hassan Khan 38 (not out); Jack Edwards 2-39) beat Washington Freedom 146/10 in 13.1 overs (Rachin Ravindra 42, Mitchell Owen 39; Haris Rauf 3-30) by 123 runs.
(with IANS inputs)
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