Brief scores: New Zealand (173/1 in 12.5 ov) beat South Africa (169/8 in 20 ov) by 9 wickets in Kolkata in the semifinal match.
SA vs NZ T20 WORLD CUP 2026: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
Finn Allen was at his explosive best on Wednesday, March 4, as New Zealand stormed into the T20 World Cup final with a commanding nine-wicket win against South Africa in the semi-final at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Allen remained unbeaten on a breathtaking 100 off just 33 balls, smashing 10 fours and eight sixes, as the Black Caps chased down 170 with 43 balls to spare.
He brought up his half-century in 19 deliveries and raced to his hundred in only 33, dismantling the Proteas attack with ruthless precision. Earlier, South Africa had posted a competitive 169 for eight after being asked to bat, with Marco Jansen contributing a valuable half-century down the order.
However, Tim Seifert and Allen ensured the Proteas were never truly in the contest. Seifert struck a brisk 58 before falling to Kagiso Rabada, while Allen carried on till the end, sealing the chase with a four down the ground off Jansen. New Zealand will now face the winner of the other semi-final between India and England in the title clash.
Here are some records that Finn Allen and New Zealand made
33 – Finn Allen hit the fastest century in the history of the T20 World Cups. He went past Chris Gayle, who made a 47-ball hundred against England in 2016 in Mumbai.
33 – Finn Allen notched the joint-fastest century in T20Is by a full-member nation batter. He equalled the record of Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza, who made the record in 2024 against Gambia in Nairobi.
33 – Finn Allen smashed the fastest T20I hundred against a full-member nation. Rohit Sharma (against Sri Lanka in 2017) and David Miller (against Bangladesh in 2017) held the record off 35 balls.
33 – Finn Allen hit the joint third-fastest century in the history of T20Is. Estonia’s Sahil Chauhan holds the record with his 27-ball century against Cyprus in 2024.
33 – Finn Allen hit the fastest century by a New Zealand batter in T20Is. Allen broke the record of Glenn Phillips, who made a 46-ball century against the West Indies in 2020 in Mount Maunganui.
100* – Finn Allen became the first batter to score a century in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup. Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan earlier held the record for the highest individual score in semis with his 96 not out against the West Indies in 2009 at the Kennington Oval.
100* – Finn Allen became the first batter to hit a T20I century at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. He broke Sanju Samson’s record for the highest individual T20I score of 97.
4:0 – New Zealand registered their fourth win over South Africa in ICC knockout history. They previously beat the Proteas by 49 runs in the 2011 ODI World Cup quarter-final, by four wickets in the 2015 ODI World Cup semi-final, and by 50 runs in the 2025 Champions Trophy semi-final, before adding another victory in Kolkata.
4-1: New Zealand beat South Africa for the first time in the history of T20 World Cups. They came into the semis on the back of four losses at the hands of the Proteas.
43 – New Zealand’s win over South Africa was the second-biggest in T20 World Cup knockouts (semis and finals) by balls remaining. South Africa hold the record after they beat Afghanistan in the 2024 semis with 67 balls to spare.
463 – Tim Seifert and Finn Allen made the record for the highest aggregate as a pair in a single edition of the T20 World Cup. They went past Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 446 in 2024.
117 – The partnership between Finn Allen and Tim Seifert is the second-biggest in the history of T20 World Cup knockouts. Jos Buttler and Alex Hales’ 170-run stand in the 2022 semis against India in 2022 remains on top.
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