Record-Breaking Chase: Washington Freedom Stun Texas Super Kings in MLC, 2025, Thriller

By Shah Faisal

MCLis producing thrilling encounters as Washington Freedom  registered a historic performance against Texas Super Kings by chasing the highest score ever in the relatively short history of MCL.  WF chased 220 runs against TSK in the 3th match of this year's MCL thanks to Micheal Owen's fantastic batting. 

Toss and Playing XIs

In a high-stakes clash at Dallas during the 13th match of Major League Cricket 2025, Washington Freedom won the toss and opted to field, sending Texas Super Kings in to bat under ideal evening conditions.

Texas Super Kings XI: Faf du Plessis (c), Smit Patel (wk), Saiteja Mukkamalla, Marcus Stoinis, Milind Kumar, Donovan Ferreira, Calvin Savage, Shubham Ranjane, Adam Milne, Noor Ahmad, Nandre Burger.

Washington Freedom XI: Mitchell Owen, Rachin Ravindra, Andries Gous (wk), Glenn Maxwell (c), Glenn Phillips, Jack Edwards, Obus Pienaar, Mukhtar Ahmed, Matthew Forde, Ian Holland, Saurabh Netravalkar.

Explosive Start by Texas Super Kings

Texas Super Kings’ innings roared off the blocks with Faf du Plessis leading from the front. The veteran South African launched a brutal assault, racing to his half-century in just 20 balls. His partner Smit Patel contributed a brisk 24, but once Patel fell to Mitchell Owen, Du Plessis continued the onslaught almost single-handedly.

Owen struck again by removing Du Plessis for a swashbuckling 69 off 31 balls, breaking the back of Texas’ blistering start. After Du Plessis’ departure at 82/2 in the eighth over, the innings lost some momentum but remained aggressive.

Marcus Stoinis (32 off 24) and Milind Kumar (31 off 18) shared a 42-run stand to keep the scoreboard ticking. But it was Shubham Ranjane’s cameo of 26 off just 10 balls that provided Texas with a late surge, as they racked up 56 runs in the final four overs. The finishing burst powered Texas Super Kings to an imposing total of 220 for 6 in 20 overs, setting Washington Freedom a record-breaking chase.

For Washington, Mitchell Owen was the standout with the ball, finishing with 3 for 33, while Glenn Maxwell chipped in with 2 for 35.

Owen and Gous Orchestrate Record Chase

In reply, Washington Freedom lost Rachin Ravindra early, but Mitchell Owen took command, producing a sublime all-round performance. His aggressive strokeplay set the tone as he smashed 89 off 52 deliveries, hitting 8 fours and 5 sixes. Alongside him, Andries Gous anchored the innings with a mature yet aggressive knock of 80 off 45 balls*, blending composure with audacity.

The game-changing moment arrived in the 12th and 13th overs when Freedom targeted Texas’ bowlers mercilessly. Noor Ahmad was hammered for 22 runs, and Donovan Ferreira leaked 24 runs in back-to-back overs. This eight-ball burst, where Owen and Gous combined for five sixes and three fours, flipped the momentum completely, reducing the equation to a manageable 69 runs needed from the final seven overs.

Though Owen eventually fell to Adam Milne at 157/2 in the 15th over, Gous carried the chase forward. Even when Glenn Maxwell was dismissed late, Glenn Phillips’ rapid-fire 12 off 4 balls, including a critical six, pushed Washington to the brink.

With just 5 runs required off the final over, Marcus Stoinis managed to build some late drama by conceding three singles off his first three balls. However, Phillips pierced backward point on the fourth delivery to seal a historic seven-wicket victory with two balls to spare.

A Historic Moment for MLC

This chase of 221 runs now stands as the highest successful run chase in Major League Cricket history, surpassing the previous record of 201 runs set earlier this week by MI New York against Seattle Orcas.

Player of the Match: Mitchell Owen

Without question, the star of the night was Mitchell Owen, whose all-round brilliance earned him a deserved Player of the Match award. His blistering 89 with the bat combined with a crucial 3 wickets with the ball was the foundation of Washington Freedom’s record-breaking win.