New Delhi: New Zealand top-order batter Finn Allen unleashed carnage in the opener of the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 as he struck 151 off a mere 51 deliveries to power San Francisco Unicorns to a whopping 123-run win over defending champions Washington Freedom, in California on Thursday. The Kiwi batter set the Oakland Coliseum ablaze with his fiery knock that saw him smack five fours and 19 towering sixes.
He shattered multiple records on the way, rewriting the history books of MLC and T20 cricket as well. His team was invited to bat first in the season’s first game, and he helped his side post a massive score of 269/5 in their allotted 20 overs. This is now the highest team total in the history of MLC cricket. Allen reached his half-century in just 20 balls and went on to register the fastest hundred in the history of MLC, reaching the landmark in just 34 balls.
He continued his breathtaking knock, notching 150 runs off just 49 balls and etched his name in the record books for the fastest 150 in T20 cricket. The 26-year-old made a mockery of Freedom’s bowling attack, whacking them all over the park, also breaking the record for hitting most sixes (19) ever in a T20 innings. His 151-run knock is also the highest individual score in the history of the MLC.
He established a quick-fire 88-run stand for the third wicket off 37 balls with Sanjay Krishnamurthi, taking San Francisco over the 150-run mark in the 12th over and only departed in the 18th over, when the team was at 232. In the run chase, it is highly noteworthy that Washington lost to Allen all alone, as his individual score of 151 dwarfed Washington’s team total of 146.
Finn Allen’s out here breaking records 💯 He smashed the fastest century in MLC history for the @SFOUnicorns! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/SVyQ9n99Rf
— Cognizant Major League Cricket (@MLCricket) June 13, 2025
Most sixes EVER in a T20 innings ✅️
Highest score in the history of the MLC ✅️
Set the Oakland Coliseum alight ✅️Finn Allen just went OFF 🔥#GoCorns pic.twitter.com/g36FXmqMbU
— San Francisco Unicorns (@SFOUnicorns) June 13, 2025
Washington’s chase
Although Washington got off to a brisk start as openers Rachin Ravindra (42 off 17) and Mitchell Owen (39 off 20) added 80 runs for the first wicket off just 32 balls, Liam Plunkett managed to break through the budding partnership by dismissing Ravindra. Owen also departed shortly afterward, thanks to an unfortunate run out which left Washington at 97/2 in 6.4 overs.
After losing their openers, Washington endured a dramatic collapse as they lost the last eight wickets for only 49 runs and were folded for just 146 in 13.1 overs. Led by Glenn Maxwell (5 off 4), Washington drowned under pressure as Glenn Phillips (o off 3) flopped as well, and the team failed to leave a mark in their first game of the campaign.
Haris Rauf (3/30) and Hassan Khan (3/38) were the pick of the bowlers for San Francisco as they guided them to a huge 123-run victory, the largest ever margin in MLC history. Finn Allen was deservedly named the Player of the Match for his record-breaking innings.
Finn Allen belted 19 sixes and five fours to score a breathtaking 151 off 51 balls for San Francisco Unicorns in the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 opener against Washington Freedom in California on Thursday. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
