T20 World Cup: Brutal Finn Allen’s century helps Kiwis soar to final

The first semi-final of ICC T20 World Cup at the Eden Gardens proved to be a total anti-climax as New Zealand pulled off a stunning a nine-wicket win over an in-form South Africa on Wednesday. The Kiwis, for whom it's the second World T20 final after 2021, will take on winners of the high profile second semi-final between India and England in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Only the day before, the Kiwi skipper Mitchell Santner said they were yet to play the ‘perfect game’ in the tournament but would like to put pressure on the Proteas whenever possible. The toss of course played a key role for them as chasing became palpably easy with a liberal dose of dew – but few must have anticipated the fireworks from the bearded Finn Allen, who hit the fastest century in the history of World T20 off 33 balls, overhauling Chris Gayle’s three-figure mark off 47 balls in the 2016 edition.

 Allen and Tim Seifert (58) gave them the perfect start to rustle up 117 runs by the 10^th over to break the back of the highly rated Proteas attack. ‘’We tried to put them on the backfoot early,’’ said centurion Allen, whose form along with Seifert, would bring good tidings for the Kolkata Knight Riders fans in the upcoming IPL as the pair had been roped in by the franchise.  

It was a strange capitulation of part of South Africa, who were the only team to make the semi-finals undefeated. Given that the Aiden Markram-Quinton de Kock opening pair were proving to be unstoppable through the tournament, the Kiwis brought in a surprise package in the tall off spinner Cole McConchie in the powerplay and he broke the top order by claiming De Knock and Ryan Rickelton in one over.

 The fact that Proteas eventually managed to reach 169 for eight, a total which still looked 15-20 runs below par, was due to a counterattacking 73-run stand for the sixth wicket between Marco Jansen (55) and Tristan Stubbs (29). However, the awesome Kiwi duo took the Proteas attack by the scruff of their neck to plunder 84 runs in the powerplay without being separated.

  When Seifert was eventually bowled by Kagiso Rabada with the total at 117, the South Africans looked out of the frame. Allen simply began toying with their rival attack - reaching his first fifty in 19 balls and the next one in 14 balls.

It turned out to be a no-contest in the end with South Africa’s dreams of making it to their second straight final lying in tatters on the hallowed turf!