Finn Allen absolutely dominated the opening night of MLC 2025, leading the San Francisco Unicorns (SFU) to a huge victory over the Freedom. In a rematch of last year’s final, SFU avenged their loss with a massive 123-run win, largely thanks to Allen’s incredible 151 runs off just 51 balls.
Record-Breaking Performance:
Allen’s whirlwind innings set new T20 records:
- He hit the fastest 150 in T20 cricket.
- He smashed an astonishing 19 sixes, breaking Chris Gayle’s record of 18 for the most sixes in a T20 innings.
- His century came off just 34 deliveries, an MLC record, surpassing Nicholas Pooran’s 40-ball ton.
The Unicorns’ Innings:
Allen started his six-hitting spree early, even playing a cheeky lap shot for a six in the very first over. While Tim Seifert had a brief cameo and Jake Fraser-McGurk struggled, Allen continued to unleash a barrage of sixes. Sanjay Krishnamurthi also entertained briefly, hitting four sixes in an over off Rachin Ravindra. Allen hit a hat-trick of sixes against both Michell Owen and Glenn Phillips, reaching 86 off just 28 balls. With seven overs still remaining after his century, more records seemed imminent. He continued to pummel the ball, and when he hit his 18th six, SFU surpassed the highest total in MLC history. His 150 came off just 49 balls with his record-breaking 19th six. He nearly broke Gayle’s record for the highest individual score in T20 cricket, but a rare mis-hit led to his dismissal. Hassan Khan then provided a strong finish with an unbeaten 38, setting the Freedom a daunting target of 270.
Freedom’s Chase:
The Freedom started their chase aggressively, with Owen and Ravindra putting on an impressive 79 runs in the first five overs, keeping SFU on their toes. However, an excellent catch from Fraser-McGurk and a run-out in the following over led to the quick departures of both set batsmen. From that point, the chase completely fell apart.
Their score of 80/0 quickly collapsed to 117/8 as they lost wickets in rapid succession. Haris Rauf was particularly impactful, trapping Glenn Maxwell leg-before-wicket and then bowling Phillips in the same over. Hassan Khan and Carmie le Roux also contributed to the wicket-taking, with Freedom losing two wickets almost every over at one point. Rauf eventually picked up his third wicket, bringing an end to the defending champions’ misery as they were bowled out with 41 balls remaining.
Discussion about this post