Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Finn Allen produced one of the most explosive innings in T20 World Cup history hammering a whirlwind unbeaten century off just 33 balls as New Zealand defeated South Africa by nine wickets to enter the final in Kolkata on March 4.
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. 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 T20 World Cup final.
