Top News

MLC 2026: Who is USA's record-breaker Andries Gous?
16 Jul 2026

Washington Freedom scripted history by recording the biggest T20 chase on July 16.

The team chased down 267 runs against MI New York in the 2026 Major League Cricket (MLC) Eliminator.

The match, played at Oakland, saw Andries Gous and Steve Smith score centuries, with the former slamming a record-breaking 132.

Gous became the first USA batter with an MLC ton.

Record between Gous and Smith
Stellar stand

Chasing 267, WAF lost Mitchell Owen and Rachin Ravindra within two overs.

This was followed by an extraordinary third-wicket partnership between Gous and Smith.

The duo added a whopping 241 runs off just 89 balls, the joint second-biggest partnership for any wicket in all T20s.

Gous scored a blistering 132 off just 51 balls while Smith anchored the innings with an unbeaten 110.

Gous's 40-ball ton
Milestone

Gous, who raced to an incredible ton off 40 balls, slammed 10 fours and 12 sixes. He became the first USA batter to reach three figures in MLC.

The 32-year-old has been Washington Freedom's mainstay batter since the 2023 MLC edition. He is their highest scorer with 803 runs from 31 matches at 36.50.

His tally includes a strike rate of 148.97 and five 50-plus scores, including a ton.

His journey so far
Journey

Andries Gous is a South African-born wicketkeeper-batter who plays for the US in international cricket.

He made his USA debut in 2024 and featured in the ICC T20 World Cup that year. He also represented the US in the 2026 edition.

Before his international debut, Gous played domestic cricket in South Africa.

Gous currently has 770 runs from 27 T20Is at a strike rate of 142.85.

Gous's third T20 ton
Fact

As per ESPNcricinfo, Gous brought up his third century in T20 cricket. His tally also includes 22 half-centuries. In 134 T20s, the US batter has raced to 3,426 runs at an average of 32.01. He has a strike rate of over 141.