Owen slams record 68-ball 155 in brutal return to form

Mitch Owen has blasted the highest score of his career in a brutal return to form with Washington Freedom in the United States.

Owen slammed 155 from just 68 balls in a six-hitting frenzy against MI New York on Saturday night (Sunday Australian time), setting a new mark for the highest individual score in the Major League Cricket competition.

His efforts helped the Ricky Ponting-coached Freedom post 5-245 from their 20 overs – the competition's third highest total of all time – after being sent in by New York at Dallas' Grand Prairie Stadium.

Remarkably, the Tasmanian was potentially on track for a double-century before he was dismissed caught and bowled with 19 balls still remaining in the innings.

Having missed out on a place in Australia's T20 World Cup squad earlier this year following a poor Big Bash season, the innings was the 24-year-old's first century in any format in 16 months.

Owen didn't feature at all in the Punjab Kings' recent Indian Premier League season despite being purchased for A$510,000 at the auction but has rediscovered his destructive best after landing in the USA.

The right-hander, who was the MLC player of the tournament in 2025, began this year's campaign with a 25-ball 61 in an 82-run opening stand with Steve Smith in the Freedom's first-up loss to Seattle.

But Owen kept going today, reprising memories of his epic 39-ball ton that took Hobart Hurricanes to their maiden BBL title in January 2025.

This century came off 41 balls when he hit Corey Anderson for two into the leg side before cashing in with 54 runs from his next 17 deliveries against a demoralised New York attack that had only one bowler concede less than 10 an over – Rushil Ugarkar (9.5), who still coughed up 38 runs from his four.

Owen hit 11 fours and an incredible 13 sixes, including two that carried over the fence and out of the stadium, with his innings strike rate a whopping 227.94.

"Thirteen sixes, a 150-plus score; a pretty special innings," said New Zealand allrounder Mark Chapman, who scored 23 in an 82-run second wicket stand with the Australian.

Owen's 155 eclipsed his previous top score at professional level, a 69-ball 149 in a one-day match for Tasmania in February 2025, which was his most recent century prior to today.

Smith was mostly a spectator in the pair's opening stand of 134, which ended when he holed out to cover off a slower ball from Anderson in the 10th over.

South African Corbin Bosch finally gave New York a reprieve from Owen's hurricane when he held a return catch from a low full toss that was struck powerfully back at him in the 17th over.

New York were never in the hunt despite an unbeaten 100 off 56 balls by veteran Kieron Pollard, finishing 30 runs short on 6-215.

Glenn Maxwell (2-37) picked up two wickets for Washington as well as a clever run out through his legs in his follow through to dismiss Quinton de Kock.