Finn Allen lit up the opening match of Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 with a breathtaking century off just 34 balls — the fastest in the league’s history. His knock helped San Francisco Unicorns make a strong statement against Washington Freedom in the season opener.The New Zealand opener’s destructive innings helped San Francisco Unicorns demolish Washington Freedom’s bowling attack and post the highest team total in MLC history 269/5 (20). Allen’s knock also set a new MLC benchmark for the highest individual score, surpassing all previous records in the league’s short but growing history. Allen broke Nicholas Pooran’s previous MLC record of a 40-ball century, showcasing brutal hitting from the very start.

Opening the innings with Tim Seifert, the Kiwi batter launched into the Washington bowlers, smashing boundaries at will and clearing the ropes with ease.

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Allen was eventually dismissed for a jaw-dropping 151 off 51 balls, caught by Glenn Phillips off the bowling of Mitchell Owen. His innings included 5 fours and a staggering 19 sixes — the most sixes ever hit in a single T20 innings, breaking Chris Gayle’s long-standing record of 18 sixes set during the IPL in 2013 San Francisco, who were sent in to bat after Washington Freedom won the toss, took full advantage of the fresh wicket. Glenn Maxwell, captain of Washington, had opted to bowl first, unsure about how the pitch would play.

However, the decision backfired as Allen’s onslaught left the bowlers with little margin for error.

San Francisco captain Corey Anderson was upbeat before the match, saying, “We would’ve bowled too. The boys are excited to finally play a home game. Cricket is still an underdog sport in the US, so this league is a big opportunity.”Quiz: Who's that IPL player?

Washington Freedom

(Playing XI): Andries Gous(w), Mitchell Owen, Mukhtar Ahmed, Rachin Ravindra, Jack Edwards, Glenn Maxwell(c), Glenn Phillips, Obus Pienaar, Ian Holland, Ben Sears, Saurabh Netravalkar

San Francisco Unicorns

(Playing XI): Finn Allen, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Tim Seifert(w), Cooper Connolly, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Corey Anderson(c), Hassan Khan, Liam Plunkett, Xavier Bartlett, Carmi le Roux, Haris Rauf Allen’s century marks a powerful start to the new MLC season and sets a high bar for the tournament ahead.