OAKLAND: San Francisco Unicorns opener Finn Allen smashed a record 19 sixes in his incendiary 151 off 51 balls against defending champions Washington Freedom in the opening match of this year`s Major League Cricket (MLC) at Oakland Coliseum on Thursday.

Allen`s knock was the Twenty20 league`s highest individual score since its 2023 debut season, while his six-hitting display passed the previous mark of 18 in a T20 match held by West Indian Chris Gayle and Estonian Sahil Chauhan.

The Unicorns amassed 269-5, an MLC team record, with Allen taking 34 balls to bring up his 100 against a bowling attack that included New Zealand compatriots Bean Sears, Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips.

Phillips took a catch at long on to dismiss the 26-year-old opener off Mitchell Owen`s bowling in the18th over oftheinnings.

Freedom, led by Australian Glenn Maxwell, were all out for 146 in 13.1 overs in reply, suffering a comprehensive 123-runs defeat.-Reuters