Top News

For three hours in the heart of July, the boundaries of T20 cricket were completely ignored. Nicholas Pooran scored 106 runs from 33 balls in Eliminator 1 of the 2026 Major League Cricket season to walk off as a sure-shot hero. Their teammates stood tall on a gargantuan 266, making MI New York appear like an impregnable castle. In any other T20 match around the world, the game would have already been over.
Not for Washington Freedom.

In a night where the very fabric of T20s was torn apart to set new benchmarks across the globe, the Capital City franchise equaled the best-ever successful run chase in the shortest format. They did, in a way, what was seemingly impossible, chasing down 267 with eight balls to spare. By doing so, they not only improved their own sensational 2026 IPL match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals but also marked the highest-ever run chase in the history of the format.

The Perfect Storm: A Night of 51 Sixes at MLC

To put the sheer scale of the carnage in perspective, you only have to look at the debris on the ground and the scoreboard. The match has set a new world record for the highest number of sixes in a T20 tie, with a phenomenal total of 51 maximums.

The fireworks started with a rich Pooran, who struck 13 sixes while maintaining a strike rate of 321.21. But when Pooran Freedom came out to bat, the madness was just beginning.

The run-chase looked like an impossible task to begin with, as the hosts were struggling at 10 for 2 after the Powerplay. Washington was in danger of falling well short of the target as the required rate climbed to ridiculous heights. Steve Smith and USA international Andries Gous were the men in the middle.

The 241-Run Masterclass

What followed was an 89-ball partnership that will be talked about for generations. It wasn’t just a recovery; it was a counter-attack calculated with surgical precision.

Gous was the engine behind the recovery as the USA women’s cricket team made a stunning comeback in a 18-run win over the London Spirit. At a blazing 258.82, the USA sensation smashed 10 fours and 12 maximums as she sent world-class bowlers to the cleaners. At the other end, the veteran was in sublime form as she launched her innings in control. Smith registered her debut MLC century, coolly staying not out 110 before a thrilling finish saw the equation reduced to a walk in the park.

As the ball began to skid off the surface with the arrival of the dew, the pair maintained a strike rate of less than two runs per over. With two perfect over rates, they knew two clear hits per over to finish with the strike would do the trick.

The chase was something special for the pair of players who spoke of the confidence and the best seats in the house.

“From one ball to the other, Andries just came out and felt like he didn’t miss the middle of the bat, and everything kept hitting the rope. Had the best seat in the house up there. To chase down 260 anytime, anywhere is special. We’ll enjoy it tonight,” said Smith, Washington Freedom captain.
Gous, who was adjudged Player of the Match, was emotional as he added, “Personally, I would’ve loved to score the first hundred for the USA. To chase down 260 is something special if you can get it done. I felt it was going to happen by over 7 or 8. I told Smudge, ‘We might be in,’ and he said, ‘We’re definitely in it.’”

The Road to the Final

With this historic win, the 2024 champions had no time to celebrate their remarkable win. The Washington Freedom immediately turned their attention to the Eliminator 2 clash against the San Francisco Unicorns. With the MLC 2026 final on Saturday, July 18, and the LA Knight Riders waiting for them at the end of the road, they will have to go through the 2024 eliminator once again. Considering the sort of thriller they just pulled off, the Freedom fans have reason not to doubt their players’ ability to create more magic when it matters.