It was a historic day in Major League Cricket (MLC) 2026 as Mitchell Owen smashed 155 off just 68 deliveries – the highest score in the tournament’s history by a batter – to power Washington Freedom to 245/5. This is also the third-highest total in MLC history and it was good enough to register a 30-run victory over MI New York (MINY).
Highest score by a batter in MLC
155 Mitchell Owen (WF) vs MINY, Dallas, 2026
151 Finn Allen (SFU) vs WF, Oakland, 2025
118 Andre Fletcher (LAKR) vs SF, Lauderhill, 2025
113* Faf du Plessis (TSK) vs SO, Dallas, 2026
108* Nicholas Pooran (MINY) vs SO, Dallas, 2025
Owen reached his half-century in 25 deliveries and in the next 16 balls got to his hundred as well. It just took him a further 19 deliveries to get to 150. He hit 11 fours and 13 sixes in his knock and put on 134 off just 57 deliveries for the first wicket with his skipper Steve Smith (27).
Freedom would be disappointed not to get a bigger total on the board, as they were 216/1 in 15.1 overs at one stage. However, they managed just a run-a-ball 29 from the remaining overs to finish below 250.
However, MINY did not give up without a fight, as Kieron Pollard smashed a superb century – his second in T20s – to take his side close. In doing so, he beat Chris Gayle’s record to become the leading run-scorer in T20 cricket.
Most runs in T20s
Kieron Pollard 14,582
Chris Gayle 14,562
Alex Hales 14,449
Jos Buttler 14,371
David Warner 14,284
After Glenn Maxwell’s double strike in the first over, it looked to be an uphill task for MINY to get anywhere close to the target. Soon, they were reduced to 64/5 in the eighth over. That’s when Pollard stepped in and played as if he had nothing to lose. He first built a 70-run stand off just 40 balls with Romario Shepherd (26) and then followed that up with an unbeaten 81-run stand off just 34 deliveries with Corbin Bosch (35*) to take their side past 200.
In the end, those early blows proved too much for MINY to recover from.
Washington next take on Seattle Orcas on June 26 in Oakland, while New York face Texas Super Kings tomorrow in Dallas.
Brief scores:
Washington Freedom 245/5 in 20 overs (Mitchell Owen 155, Steve Smith 27; Corey Anderson 1/27) beat MI New York 215/6 in 20 overs (Kieron Pollard 100, Corbin Bosch 35; Glenn Maxwell 2/37) by 30 runs
Player of the Match: Mitchell Owen
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