Cricket - IT20 International - England v New Zealand - Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Birmingham, Britain - September 3, 2023 New Zealand's Finn Allen in action as he hits a six off the bowling of England's Chris Jordan Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers/File Photo
(Reuters) -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) 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 the 18th over of the innings.
Freedom, led by Australian Glenn Maxwell, were all out for 146 in 13.1 overs in reply, suffering a comprehensive 123-runs defeat.
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; editing by Peter Rutherford)
