New Zealand went to the championship game with a resounding nine-wicket victory against South Africa at Eden Gardens on Wednesday, thanks to Finn Allen’s blistering unbroken century off 33 balls, which was among the most explosive innings in the history of the Men’s T20 World Cup.
With ten boundaries and eight massive sixes, Allen tore apart the in-form South African assault as he chased 170, rewriting history by becoming the first player in a knockout match to score the quickest century in the men’s T20 World Cup. In addition to demonstrating his status as one of the most devastating openers in the shortest format, it was also his third century in T20Is and the joint-fastest hundred by a full member batsman.
Tim Seifert supported Allen’s fireworks, which included just four dot balls, by hitting a quick 58 off 33 balls. South Africa’s chances of defending their score of 169/8 were all but crushed by the duo’s 117-run opening stand. New Zealand’s dominant chase also marked their first victory against South Africa in the T20 World Cup and sent a clear warning ahead of Sunday’s championship game at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
In yet another painful defeat during a significant ICC knockout game, South Africa lost. They were widely expected to win the championship after going undefeated throughout the competition, but they were outclassed in every aspect. New Zealand entered their second Men’s T20 World Cup final as a result of Allen’s onslaught, which made Marco Jansen’s valiant 55 from earlier in the game seem less sufficient.
In pursuit of 170, Seifert started by hitting Marco Jansen for boundaries with edges off before Kagiso Rabada was dismissed by Quinton de Kock. Allen started his fireworks by guiding Rabada for four before confidently clearing the straight boundary off Jansen. As the couple sped past fifty in four overs, Seifert hit and drove Rabada and Jansen for boundaries.
In the last over of power play, Allen pillaged 22 runs, which included a six and four boundaries, as New Zealand rose to 91/0, which was their best six-over period total in the history of the Men’s T20 World Cup. Seifert quickly reached his half-century off only 22 balls by hitting Lungi Ngidi for four, while Allen scored his fifty off 19 deliveries.
Rabada bowled Seifert in the 10th over, bringing the 117-run opening stand to an end. Ravindra joined Allen, who was in his 70s, and made sure the pace never slowed. With bold strikes, Allen continued his relentless attack by sending Bosch, Maharaj, and Jansen out of bounds.
Allen hit his hundred in only 33 balls, and he ended the chase with a thunderous roar after hitting a flat six over mid-off. With one of the most impressive chases in the tournament’s history, New Zealand secured its spot in Sunday’s final in Ahmedabad, and its teammates in the dugout rejoiced.
The nine-wicket victory in the Men’s T20 World Cup semifinal against South Africa was described by New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner as a “pretty pleasing” performance in a high-pressure match.
“Obviously, we gave a bit more spin at the beginning, which we didn’t do in Ahmedabad. However, it seems obvious to me that it’s difficult to continue with the bat if you’re consistently taking wickets. Without question, the opening partnership you get through a power play places you in a very advantageous position. Then obviously, Finny (Allen) just carried on and, I mean, 33 balls for 100, it’s not bad at all,” Santner said during the post-match presentation event.
In their nine-wicket defeat in the Men’s T20 World Cup semi-final, South Africa captain Aiden Markram attributed his team’s loss to New Zealand’s powerful hitting and praised Finn Allen and Tim Seifert for their game-winning performances.
“It’s hard to tell right now. We’ll think together. The wicket was expected to perform exceptionally well, in my opinion. It looked pretty good to the eye, so maybe just adjust a bit quicker with the bats and go back to a bit more old school approach, set it up, and try to scrape your way to 190, and maybe you’ll be in the game from there. Therefore, let us reflect together. In a post-match interview, Markram said, “Clearly unhappy with the outcome, but extremely proud of this team of men who have played some really great cricket throughout this competition, and it’s simply a terrible evening, really.”
Brief Scores:
South Africa 169/8 in 20 overs (Jansen 55 not out, Dewald Brevis 34; McConchie 2-9, Rachin Ravindra 2-29)
New Zealand 173/1 in 12.5 overs (Finn Allen 100 not out, Tim Seifert 58; Kagiso Rabada 1-28) by nine wickets.