Finn Allen’s T20 salvo

New Zealand turned a Twenty20 semi-final into a sprint, hunting 170 in 12.5 overs at Eden Gardens and leaving South Africa with 43 balls unused. Finn Allen finished unbeaten on 100 from 33 balls, and that hundred was the fastest in Men’s Twenty20 World Cup history. (cricbuzz.com) (espncricinfo.com) South Africa had not collapsed with the bat. They made 169 for 8 in their 20 overs, with Marco Jansen scoring 55 not out and Dewald Brevis adding 34, which is usually enough to make a knockout game tense for most of the night. (espncricinfo.com) (icc-cricket.com) Instead, Allen blew through the chase like a powerplay in a video game. He hit 10 fours and 8 sixes in 33 balls, so 88 of his 100 runs came in boundaries and South Africa barely got a chance to slow him down. (espn.com) (cricbuzz.com) The other opener mattered too. Tim Seifert made 58 from 33 balls, which meant South Africa could not simply bowl around Allen, and New Zealand reached 100 before the chase was even half done. (espncricinfo.com) (espn.com) That speed changes the feel of a Twenty20 chase. A target of 170 usually asks for 8.5 runs an over across 20 overs, but New Zealand got there at roughly 13.5 runs an over, which turns a careful pursuit into a nonstop boundary drill. (icc-cricket.com) (espncricinfo.com) Allen’s hundred also landed on the biggest stage of his format. This was a World Cup semi-final, and the innings sent New Zealand into their second Men’s Twenty20 World Cup final. (espncricinfo.com) (espn.com) The backdrop made it sharper. ESPNcricinfo reported that New Zealand had needed other results just to sneak into the semi-finals, and a few days later they were tearing apart a knockout chase against one of the tournament’s strongest sides. (espncricinfo.com) South Africa’s bowlers were not facing a slow burn that leaves room for adjustments. Kagiso Rabada took the only wicket, but by the time New Zealand were 173 for 1, the match had been compressed into 77 balls and most of the usual middle-overs pressure never arrived. (espncricinfo.com) (cricbuzz.com) By the end, Allen was not just the player of the match. He had produced the kind of innings that changes how a score looks on paper, because 169 for 8 reads competitive until one batter erases it in 33 balls. (cricbuzz.com) (espncricinfo.com)