Oakland, July 16,2026: Washington Freedom pulled off the highest successful run chase in T20 cricket history, defeating MI New York by six wickets in a run-fest during the 2026 Major League Cricket (MLC) season at the Oakland Coliseum on Wednesday.
The match produced a staggering 51 sixes in fewer than 40 overs, with Steve Smith and Andries Gous delivering a record-breaking batting masterclass to overshadow a brilliant century by MI New York captain Nicholas Pooran.
Chasing an imposing target of 267, Washington Freedom reached 267-4 with eight balls to spare, surpassing the previous record chase of 265 set by Punjab Kings against Delhi Capitals in the 2026 Indian Premier League.
Former Australia captain Steve Smith anchored the innings with an unbeaten 110 off 48 balls, smashing nine sixes and seven boundaries. The veteran batter reached his century in just 40 deliveries, the fastest T20 hundred of his career.
He was brilliantly supported by wicketkeeper-batter Andries Gous, who became the first American batter to score a century in Major League Cricket. Gous hammered 132 from just 51 balls, striking 12 sixes and 10 fours in a breathtaking display of power hitting.
The duo stitched together a remarkable 241-run partnership for the third wicket from only 89 balls, setting a new record for the highest third-wicket stand in T20 cricket. They surpassed the previous mark of 213 runs shared by Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav for Mumbai against Sikkim in 2019.
Earlier, Nicholas Pooran had produced a magnificent century to propel MI New York to a formidable total, but his efforts proved insufficient against Washington’s historic batting assault.
Reflecting on the memorable victory, Smith praised his batting partner’s extraordinary innings.
“From ball one, Andries Gous looked like he never missed the middle of the bat. Everything just kept flying over the rope. I had the best seat in the house. It was a wonderful win,” Smith said after the match.
Commenting on the record chase, he added: “Obviously, chasing 260-plus, a lot has to go right. We got off to a bit of a shaky start, but then the ball just started coming off the middle of both our bats. We tried to keep the required rate around 14 an over, knowing that two good hits each over would keep us on track. It worked out nicely.”
The victory not only secured an unforgettable win for Washington Freedom but also established new benchmarks for the highest successful chase and one of the greatest partnerships in T20 cricket history.
