Wednesday, after all, will be the day every single cricket fan in the world takes notice of one name: Finn Allen. The New Zealand opener made a mockery of the 170 runs South Africa had set in their T20 World Cup semi-final in Kolkata, with the Black Caps chasing it down inside 12.5 overs. Allen’s century came off just 33 balls — the fastest ton in T20 World Cups and the joint third-fastest of all time across T20Is. Allen’s ton off 33 balls broke Chris Gayle’s record of the fastest hundred (47 balls) in T20 World Cup against England in 2016.
The century, which consisted of eight sixes and 10 fours, is also the quickest hundred against a Full Member side in T20Is. It is the joint-fastest by a Full Member team batter, equal with Sikandar Raza’s century against Gambia in Nairobi 2024.
With this victory, NZ has fixed their last against either India or England, who will clash on Thursday at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. Thanks to a bit of resistance by Marco Jansen (55 off 30 balls, with two fours and five sixes) and Tristan Stubbs (29 off 24 balls, with two fours and a six), the Proteas managed to crawl to 169/8 in their 20 overs after they were down at 77/5. The real fireworks, though, were made by Tim Seifert (58 off 33 balls, seven fours and two sixes) and Allen (100* in 33 balls, 10 fours and eight sixes), who smashed a 117-run partnership that buried the game within the powerplay itself.
Chasing 170 runs, Kiwis openers Tim Seifert and Finn Allen provided a decent start, with Seifert smashing Jansen for two fours to begin the second innings. Jansen was not spared either as he was hammered for 18 runs in the third over, which included two sixes and a four.
NZ had raced to 50 in just 4.4 overs, thanks to a six from Seifert over long-on off Kagiso Rabada. The sixth and final over of the powerplay, bowled by Corbin Bosch, was sheer devastation as Allen crushed him for four boundaries and a six; 22 runs came off that over with the score moving up to 84/0.
Seifert kept scoring as well, bringing up his fifty in 28 balls, with the help of six fours and two sixes. NZ completed 100 runs in 7.5 overs.
Allen also scored the second-fastest fifty of the tournament in just 19 balls, which included six fours and three sixes.
Rabada ended the 117-run partnership when he took out Seifert’s stumps for a brisk 33-ball 58 which included seven fours and two sixes in the 10th over. NZ finished after 10 overs at 124/1.
The onslaught carried on in the second half as well, where Bosch was clouted for a four and six each by Rachin Ravindra and Allen. Those boundaries just would not stop, as in the next over Allen took down Keshav Maharaj with a four and six. Next over started with a four hitting 150 for NZ, 12.1 overs in.