SAN FRANCISCO UNICORNS vs WASHINGTON FREEDOM | MLC 2025 OPENER | OAKLAND COLISEUM
When Major League Cricket flew in the much-criticized New York pitch from last month’s ICC T20 World Cup, few could have predicted what would unfold Friday night in Oakland.
But after a year of reworking and preparation, the drop-in surface—originally notorious for low scores and variable bounce at the World Cup—finally delivered a spectacle worthy of the sport’s U.S. ambitions.
And at the center of it all was San Francisco Unicorns’ Finn Allen, who played one of the greatest T20 innings ever seen.
A record-breaking night
Allen smashed a stunning 151 off just 51 balls, breaking multiple T20 world records as San Francisco posted a mammoth 269/5 against Washington Freedom in the opening match of MLC 2025.
Among the milestones:
- Most sixes in a T20 innings: 19 (breaking the joint record of 18 held by Chris Gayle and Sahil Chauhan)
- First 150 in MLC history
- Fastest 150 in T20 history: 49 balls
- Fastest MLC century: 34 balls
Allen’s onslaught electrified the Oakland Coliseum crowd of 5,126, compared to the average of 10,000-11,000 the stadium saw for MLB’s Oakland A’s in their last couple of years playing in the Bay Area.
He reached 50 in just 20 balls, accelerated to a 100 in 34, and kept going, dispatching 19 balls into the stands in an innings of brutal yet clinical power.
The previous record for the most sixes in a T20 innings had stood since 2017. On Friday night, Allen left that mark behind—along with the Freedom bowlers.
In understated fashion, when asked about his knock, Allen said: “we said today we wanted to put on a good show for the fans, our first time in Oakland, and I think we probably did that.”
Washington fights early but collapses
Chasing 270, Washington Freedom showed early fight through Rachin Ravindra (42 off 17) and Mitchell Owen (39 off 20), racing to 80 in just 32 balls.
But once Liam Plunkett removed Ravindra and a run-out ended Owen’s knock, Washington crumbled. They lost 8 wickets for 49 runs and were bowled out for 146 in 13.1 overs.
San Francisco’s Haris Rauf (3/30) and Hassan Khan (3/38) led the charge with the ball. The Unicorns’ 123-run win is now the largest victory margin in MLC history.
A pitch reborn
Perhaps the other star of the night was the pitch itself.
The surface had been flown in from New York’s Eisenhower Park, where it drew heavy criticism during the T20 World Cup for low-scoring, difficult batting conditions. But after extensive work from curators—both before and after it was installed in Oakland—it played beautifully under lights, with consistent bounce and pace early on.
The result? A night that showcased MLC and T20 cricket at its most thrilling.
A special start for MLC 2025
The night opened with a symbolic moment: West Indies legends Sir Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh delivered ceremonial first balls to Adam Gilchrist.
From there, Finn Allen and the Unicorns took over, delivering a performance that instantly elevated the launch of MLC’s third season.
For a league seeking both credibility and attention on the world stage, this was the perfect start.
