Smith’s fastest ever ton powers record T20 run-chase

Australia star slams 40-ball century as records tumble in high-scoring MLC eliminator

Steve Smith has inspired Washington Freedom to the highest successful run chase in T20 history to keep his side’s Major League Cricket title hopes alive.

Smith blazed nine sixes in the fastest century of his career in any format, coming from just 40 balls as the Ricky Ponting-coached Freedom overhauled MI New York’s 9-266 in a canter, reaching 4-270 with eight balls to spare at the Oakland Coliseum.

The innings eclipsed Punjab Kings’ 265 from earlier this year as the highest successful chase in all men’s T20 cricket.

The Australian opener, who has made no secret of his desire to represent Australia at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, combined with local lad Andries Gous (132 off 51) for highest third-wicket partnership in the T20 format, and the second highest for any wicket.

Gous, whose knock saw him become the first domestic player to score a century in the United States-based league, combined with Smith for a 241-run stand to resurrect the chase after the early losses of Mitch Owen (1) and Rachin Ravindra (6). The New Zealand allrounder earlier claimed an incredible 4-29 in a match that yielded a combined total of 536 runs in 38.4 overs.

The Smith-Gous stand lifted the 2024 MLC champions from 2-10 to 3-251 before Glenn Maxwell hit the winning runs with a swept six in the penultimate over.

Smith finished unbeaten on 110 from 48 balls – his seventh T20 century and quickest by one delivery, eclipsing his 41-ball ton for Sydney Sixers against the Thunder in January.

“It was insane striking up the other end, ‘Gousey’ was unbelievable from ball one,” he said.

“He just came out and it felt like he didn’t miss the middle of the bat the whole night, and everything just kept flying over the rope. I had the best seat in the house up there.

“We obviously got off to a little bit of a shaky start, and then the ball just started to hit the middle of both of our bats. Fortunately, they kept going over the rope and we gave ourselves a chance at the back-end.

“It was a great partnership with ‘Gousey’ and to chase down (267) anytime, that’s a special achievement.”

Nicholas Pooran (106) had earlier slammed a 31-ball hundred – the equal sixth fastest of all time in T20s – as defending champions New York posted what was then the competition’s second highest total.

It was the first time three batters have hit centuries in a single T20 match.

Pooran hit 13 sixes and Kieron Pollard (64 off 25) eight on the converted baseball field with an average boundary size of roughly 65m, with the two teams clearing the rope a record 51 times as Gous hit 12 of his own in reply.

The result sees the Freedom progress to tomorrow’s Challenger final where they’ll face San Francisco Unicorns, with the winner of that match to face Los Angeles Knight Riders in Saturday night’s final (Sunday AEST) in Oakland.

San Francisco captain Matt Short’s 94no from 62 in the Qualifier earlier in the day went in vain as his side fell seven runs short of LA’s 3-187.