Finn Allen’s Explosive 151 Propels Unicorns to Victory in MLC Opener

OAKLAND – In the opening match of Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025, the San Francisco Unicorns secured a convincing 123-run triumph over the Washington Freedom, the reigning champions. This victory was fueled by a sensational innings from Finn Allen and a dominant bowling performance spearheaded by Haris Rauf.

After being put in to bat, the Unicorns recovered from early losses during the powerplay, where Tim Seifert was dismissed by Jack Edwards and Jake Fraser-McGurk fell to Saurabh Netravalkar, ultimately posting an imposing total of 269/5.

Allen’s Record-Breaking Innings

Allen was the standout performer, unleashing a fierce attack on the Freedom’s bowlers, smashing 151 runs off just 51 deliveries, marking the fastest 150 in T20 history.

Allen’s innings featured a record-breaking 19 sixes, the most in a single T20 innings. He reached his century in a mere 34 balls and then accelerated to 150 in 50 balls before being dismissed on the first ball of the 18th over.

Hassan Khan provided crucial support with a rapid 38 not out from 18 balls, which included three boundaries and three sixes.

Sanjay Krishnamurthi played a pivotal supporting role in the middle overs, especially in the eighth over where he hit Rachin Ravindra for 24 runs with four consecutive sixes.

The Unicorns accumulated runs rapidly during the middle overs, scoring 21, 12, 20, 12, 12, and 22 across six overs, reaching 194/3 after 14 overs. Despite falling short of 300, their total of 269/5 established several MLC records, presenting a formidable challenge for the Freedom.

Freedom’s Chase Falters

Washington Freedom started their chase aggressively, reaching 89/1 in the powerplay, surpassing the Unicorns’ 67/2 at the same stage.

Mitchell Owen set an aggressive tone with a quick 36 off 13 balls, while Ravindra hit four successive sixes off Xavier Bartlett in an over that yielded 25 runs.

However, the innings turned when Liam Plunkett dismissed Ravindra in the sixth over, followed by Owen’s dismissal in the seventh.

From that point, the Freedom’s innings quickly deteriorated. Only Jack Edwards (15) and Ben Sears (10) reached double figures as the defending champions collapsed to 146 all out in 13.1 overs.

Haris Rauf and Hassan Khan each took three wickets, while Carmi le Roux added two.

Looking ahead, the Unicorns will aim to maintain their momentum in their upcoming match against the Los Angeles Knight Riders on Saturday afternoon. The Freedom will seek to recover later that day against the Seattle Orcas.