Smith-Pooran showdown: Record breaking MLC game creates T20 history with ...
Washington Freedom defeated MI New York in a record-breaking Major League Cricket match that featured three individual centuries and the highest successful run chase in T20 history. The game saw Nicholas Pooran, Andries Gous, and Steven Smith all reach triple digits in a high-scoring thriller.
Why it matters
This match marks a significant milestone for the growth and competitiveness of professional cricket in the United States.
Three batters scored centuries in the same men's T20 match for the first time as Washington Freedom completed the highest successful chase in T20 history, beating defending champions MI New York by six wickets in Eliminator 1 of MLC 2026 at the Oakland Coliseum on Tuesday.Nicholas Pooran, Andries Gous and Steven Smith all reached three figures in a game that rewrote multiple T20 records. While Pooran smashed a 31-ball hundred — the fastest century in Major League Cricket history — Gous and Smith responded with 40-ball hundreds each as Freedom chased down 267 to seal a place in Eliminator 2, where they will face San Francisco Unicorns. The winner will meet LA Knight Riders in the MLC 2026 final.For much of the evening, MI New York looked set to win after Pooran and Kieron Pollard dominated the Freedom attack.
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