Oakland Coliseum witnesses record-breaking T20 run chase in MLC eliminator

By Karan Malhotra — 17 July 2026 — 3 min read

The Major League Cricket (MLC) eliminator at the Oakland Coliseum saw Washington Freedom achieve the highest successful run chase in T20 history, defeating defending champions MI New York by six wickets. The match, which took place on Tuesday, featured three centuries, a first in men’s T20 cricket, as Washington Freedom pursued a target of 267 runs.

Steve Smith, representing Washington Freedom, played a pivotal role in the chase, scoring his fastest career century from 40 balls. He remained unbeaten with 110 runs from 48 balls, marking his seventh T20 century. This century surpassed his previous quickest, a 41-ball ton for Sydney Sixers in January.

Historic Batting Performances

The match was notable for the exceptional batting displays from both sides. Nicholas Pooran of MI New York initiated the century-scoring spree with a 31-ball hundred, which stands as the fastest century in Major League Cricket history. He hit 13 sixes during his innings. Kieron Pollard also contributed significantly for MI New York with 64 runs from 25 balls, crossing 1,000 sixes in T20 cricket during his knock.

MI New York posted a total of 9-266, which was the competition’s second-highest total at the time. This formidable score was achieved on a converted baseball field where the average boundary size was approximately 65 metres, leading to a record 51 sixes hit by both teams combined.

In response, Washington Freedom faced an early setback, losing Mitch Owen for 1 run and Rachin Ravindra for 6 runs, reducing them to 10 for 2. However, Andries Gous and Steve Smith then took control of the innings.

Gous, a local player, scored 132 runs from 51 balls, including 12 sixes and 10 fours, with a strike rate of 258.82. His performance earned him the Player of the Match award. He became the first domestic player to score a century in the United States-based league. Gous and Smith formed a 241-run partnership for the third wicket from just 89 balls, which is the highest third-wicket partnership in the T20 format and the joint second-highest for any wicket in men’s T20 cricket.

Both Gous and Smith reached their centuries in 40 balls. Smith praised Gous’s hitting, stating that Gous seemed to hit the middle of the bat consistently throughout the night. The partnership resurrected the chase, taking Washington Freedom from 2-10 to 3-251.

A Record-Breaking Chase

The 267-run chase by Washington Freedom surpassed Punjab Kings’ 265 runs from earlier in the year, making it the highest successful chase in all men’s T20 cricket. The team, coached by Ricky Ponting, reached 4-270 with eight balls remaining. Glenn Maxwell hit the winning runs with a swept six in the penultimate over.

The match also marked the first time three batters scored centuries in a single T20 game. Additionally, Gous and Smith’s hundreds in the chase made it only the second instance of two batters scoring centuries while chasing in a T20 match. Pooran and Smith also became only the fourth pair of captains to score hundreds in the same men’s T20 game.

Earlier in the match, Rachin Ravindra, the New Zealand all-rounder, claimed 4-29 despite bowling only the 14th, 16th, 18th, and 20th overs. His spell helped slow down MI New York’s scoring after they were 211 for 3 after 13 overs. Shakib Al Hasan of MI New York also made an early impact with the new ball, taking two wickets in his first two overs.

The victory allows Washington Freedom to advance to tomorrow’s Challenger final, where they will compete against San Francisco Unicorns. The winner of that match will then face Los Angeles Knight Riders in the final on Saturday night in Oakland.

Prior to this eliminator, San Francisco captain Matt Short’s unbeaten 94 from 62 balls in the Qualifier earlier in the day was in vain as his side fell seven runs short of LA’s 3-187.