Allen’s 33-ball century helps NZ storm into T20 WC final

Finn Allen produced one of the most explosive innings in Men’s T20 World Cup history by hammering a whirlwind unbeaten century off just 33 balls as New Zealand stormed into the final with a comprehensive nine-wicket win over South Africa at Eden Gardens on Wednesday.

Chasing 170, Allen tore into the in-form South African attack by hitting ten boundaries and eight towering sixes and rewrite the record books with the fastest century ever scored in the men’s T20 World Cup and the first in a knockout fixture. It was also his third century in T20Is and the joint-fastest hundred by a full member batter, as he again highlighted his reputation as one of the most destructive openers in the shortest format.

Allen’s fireworks, where he played only four dot balls, were complemented by Tim Seifert, who struck a brisk 58 off 33 deliveries. The pair stitched a 117-run opening stand that effectively ended South Africa’s hopes of defending their total of 169/8.

New Zealand’s commanding chase is also their first-ever win over South Africa in the T20 World Cup and sent out a strong message ahead of Sunday’s final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

For South Africa, the defeat was another bitter blow in a major ICC knockout match. Unbeaten through the tournament and widely tipped as favourites for the title, they were outplayed in every department. Marco Jansen’s fighting 55 had earlier lifted them to a competitive score, but Allen’s assault rendered it inadequate, as New Zealand entered their second Men’s T20 World Cup final.

Chasing 170 on a pitch eased out by dew, Seifert began with edges off Marco Jansen fetching him boundaries, before being dropped by Quinton de Kock off Kagiso Rabada. Allen began his fireworks by steering Rabada for four, before clearing the straight boundary with authority off Jansen. Seifert scooped and drove Rabada and Jansen for boundaries as the pair raced past fifty inside four overs.

Allen tore into Corbin Bosch in the final over of power-play by plundering 22 runs including four boundaries and a six, as New Zealand surged to 91/0 – their highest six-over phase score in Men’s T20 World Cup history. Seifert soon reached his half-century off just 22 balls by driving Lungi Ngidi for four, while Allen got his fifty off 19 deliveries.

The 117-run opening stand ended when Seifert was castled by Rabada in the 10th over. Rachin Ravindra joined Allen, who was already into the 70s, and ensured the tempo never went off the boil. Allen continued to attack relentlessly by dispatching Bosch, Maharaj and Jansen for boundaries with audacious strokes.

Allen got his hundred in just 33 balls and finished off the chase by launching a flat six over mid-off to let out a roar. His teammates erupted with joy in the dugout as New Zealand sealed their passage to Sunday’s final in Ahmedabad via one of the most dominant chases in tournament’s history.

Previously, South Africa were in trouble at 77/5 in 10.2 overs before Jansen steadied the innings by hitting two fours and five sixes to get his fifty in 27 balls and be unbeaten on 55. For New Zealand, Cole McConchie, Rachin Ravindra and Matt Henry picked two wickets each to stall the Proteas’ charge, though they conceded 61 runs in the last five overs.

Pushed into batting first, Quinton de Kock got going with a stylish four and six, before miscuing to mid-on off McConchie in the opening over. A ball later, McConchie struck when he had Ryan Rickelton slashing to backward point for a golden duck.

Aiden Markram and Dewald Brevis attempted to rebuild, with the former, dropped on three by Rachin Ravindra, and the latter taking boundaries off Lockie Ferguson and James Neesham. But Markram eventually fell for 18, caught at long-on off Ravindra in the eighth over.

Brevis continued to be fluent by hitting Ravindra for a six over cow corner and carting Mitchell Santner for another maximum over mid-wicket. But Brevis fell for 34 - caught at cover off Neesham in the 11th over, while David Miller too departed for six after holing out to long-on off Ravindra.

Indo-Asian News Service

Brief Scores: South Africa 169/8 in 20 overs (Marco Jansen 55 not out, Dewald Brevis 34; Cole McConchie 2-9, Rachin Ravindra 2-29) lost to New Zealand 173/1 in 12.5 overs (Finn Allen 100 not out, Tim Seifert 58; Kagiso Rabada 1-28) by nine wickets