Finn Allen unbeaten 33-ball 100 sends New Zealand into T20 World Cup final

Finn Allen struck an unbeaten 100 off 33 balls as New Zealand thrashed South Africa by nine wickets to reach the T20 World Cup final. Opening with Tim Seifert, Allen added 117 for the first wicket and said preparation and adapting to the black-soil pitch were key to the approach.

New Zealand stormed into the T20 World Cup final after a nine-wicket win over South Africa on Wednesday. Finn Allen struck an unbeaten 100 from 33 balls to seal the chase fast. New Zealand’s run chase turned one-sided during a dominant opening partnership. South Africa’s 170 did not hold up against early hitting.

Allen kept the approach simple during the knock. "I just tried to get in good positions and perform for the team,\" Allen said. The opener said New Zealand set out with clear intent. Allen also noted that support from an attacking partner made decision-making easier at the crease.

Finn Allen century drives New Zealand into T20 World Cup final

Allen and Tim Seifert added 117 for the first wicket to decide the match early. Seifert made 58 from 33 balls, matching the tempo from the start. \"We wanted to start well and put them on the back foot early. Easy for me when Timmy is going like that. I can just watch and get him on strike. He batted on a flyer. Huge game for us,\" Allen said.

Allen also pointed to preparation as key to adapting during the match. \"You adapt to the wicket. Training is really important to get a feel of the surface. We knew it would be black soil, we had that intel. Shows how important that series was before the World Cup.\" New Zealand used that information to plan early aggression.

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Allen moved quickly to the next match after the win. The winner of Thursday’s semifinal between India and England in Mumbai will face New Zealand in Ahmedabad on Sunday. \"You take the positives from the game and celebrate a little but you have a final to look forward to on Sunday.\" New Zealand’s focus shifted to conditions and opponents.

Captain Mitchell Santner called it one of New Zealand’s most complete outings. \"When you see how good South Africa are, to put on a performance like that in a crunch game is pretty pleasing. Earlier we have been good in periods, today we were good all the way through.\" Santner said execution stayed consistent across all phases.

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Santner said plans were clear, including early overs with the ball. \"There was a plan for the first two overs and then a free-for-all. With Brevis coming in, we knew he likes spin but we thought it would be better spinning it away from him.\" New Zealand used spin in the powerplay to target match-ups.

At the interval, 170 looked competitive for South Africa. Santner said early wickets could have changed the chase. \"In T20, you never know. Wickets in the powerplay would have made it a challenge. But they took it on. And Finny just carried on. A 33-ball 100 is not bad,\" he said with a smile. New Zealand did not allow pressure to build.

Santner remained cautious about what comes next. \"Its a different ground next time, red soil, black soil, lot of variables. Pretty good performance. I dont know if it was a perfect game, but we were good all the way through.\" New Zealand expected conditions to vary in Ahmedabad. Planning, Santner suggested, will need adjustment.

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South Africa captain Aiden Markram said Allen’s innings proved decisive. \"They bowled really well up front. Credit to their bowling unit. And when someone plays an innings like that, you dont often come out on the right side of that.\" Markram indicated South Africa struggled to regain control once the chase began strongly.

Markram felt South Africa may have needed a bigger total on a good surface. \"To get to 170 was a great effort to be fair. Maybe we had to scrape our way to 190 and wed be in the game. They got off to a flyer in the powerplay. Massive credit to Finn Allen and Seifert to kill the game off as early as they did,\" he said. South Africa could not slow the opening stand.

Markram said the defeat hurt but praised the squad’s overall campaign. \"Obviously disappointed in the result but really proud of these guys. Well let the emotions settle first and then have a discussion as a group. Hugely disappointed, but well have to come back stronger and be better as a team.\" South Africa left with lessons, while New Zealand prepared for Sunday’s final.

With inputs from PTI