Cricket Live: Finn Allen century sends New Zealand into T20 World Cup final
cricket live — Finn Allen's unbeaten 100 off 33 balls propelled New Zealand to a nine-wicket victory with 43 balls to spare, sealing their place in the T20 World Cup final.
Cricket Live: Match turning moments
The semi-final at Eden Gardens was dominated by Allen's explosive batting and a strong New Zealand powerplay. New Zealand recorded the second-highest powerplay score of the tournament, reaching 84 without loss early in the chase. South Africa's innings was punctured by an early double-wicket blow, leaving them on the back foot and ultimately 77 for 5 at one stage.
South Africa's Jansen produced a rescue effort with a 27-ball half-century that offered resistance, but Markram, who had been dropped on 3, went on to make just 18. Brevis contributed 34 before falling to a poor shot that left his side in difficulty. The match swung decisively after McConchie took two wickets in two balls as South Africa made a difficult start.
Allen's century and chase details
Allen finished an unbeaten 100 off 33 balls as New Zealand completed the chase with nine wickets in hand and 43 balls remaining. The innings was the defining performance of the semi-final and brought New Zealand comfortably to their target. Highlights on cricket live showed the rapid scoring and the short boundaries and fast outfield that the New Zealand captain said helped the approach for both batting and bowling.
What this means for the final
New Zealand will face either India or England in Sunday's final. The other semi-final between England and the defending champions India is scheduled to take place at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium tomorrow, with pre-match activity set for 9: 00 AM ET and the first ball scheduled for 9: 30 AM ET. The winner of that match will meet the Black Caps in the showpiece.
New Zealand captain Mitch Santner reflected on the performance: "It was nice. We knew how good South Africa are and they've shown it throughout this tournament. To get a good performance like that against them is pleasing. Every time you lose a game, you are learning from it. We weren't as good as we could have been in defeat [to South Africa] in the group stage. But today was about trying to chop and change during bowling because the wicket was good. It was a short ground with fast outfield. "
Forward look and immediate implications
The Black Caps arrive at the final buoyed by a comprehensive semi-final victory and a batting display that will be hard for any opponent to ignore. The immediate focus is on the winner of tomorrow's match at Wankhede, which will determine New Zealand's opponent in the final. If the match schedule holds, both teams will have a short turnaround before the Sunday showpiece.
