A historic night at Oakland Coliseum saw Nicholas Pooran, Andries Gous, and Steve Smith all score centuries in a single match. Washington Freedom completed the highest successful T20 chase in history.

Key Takeaways

  • Nicholas Pooran smashed the fastest century in MLC history (31 balls).
  • Three batters (Pooran, Gous, and Smith) scored centuries in a single men's T20 match.
  • Washington Freedom successfully chased down a record 267 runs.
  • Steve Smith and Andries Gous both reached hundreds in just 40 balls each.

Cricket witnessed a paradigm shift in batting dominance during the first Eliminator of MLC 2026 at the Oakland Coliseum. In a breathtaking encounter, Washington Freedom defeated the defending champions MI New York by six wickets, but the scoreline only tells half the story. This match rewrote the record books, becoming a landmark event in the history of T20 cricket.

The Pooran Storm and Pollard's Milestone

The match began with an onslaught from Nicholas Pooran, who decimated the MI New York bowling attack to score a blistering 31-ball century—the fastest in Major League Cricket history. Adding to the spectacle, Kieron Pollard became the latest legend to cross the 1,000 sixes milestone in T20 cricket during his rapid 64-run knock. Despite a late resurgence by Rachin Ravindra, who claimed 4 wickets for 28 runs, MI New York was held to 266 runs.

A Historic Chase: Smith and Gous Dominate

Chasing a mammoth 267, Washington Freedom faced early adversity when Shakib Al Hasan struck twice early, leaving them at 10/2. However, what followed was a masterclass in aggressive batting. Steve Smith and Andries Gous orchestrated a monumental 241-run partnership for the third wicket in just 89 deliveries. In a feat of incredible synchronization, both batsmen reached their centuries in exactly 40 balls, effectively dismantling the opposition's hopes.

Breaking the Ceiling of T20 Records

The statistics from this game are nothing short of extraordinary. It marks the first time in men's T20 history that three individual centuries were scored in a single match. Furthermore, the successful chase of 267 runs stands as the highest successful run chase in T20 history, eclipsing the previous record of 265 set by the Punjab Kings in the IPL. Washington Freedom now advances to Eliminator 2 to face the San Francisco Unicorns.