Finn Allen’s blistering century powered New Zealand to a routine chase as the Black Caps demolished South Africa in a T20 World Cup semi-final at Eden Gardens. Allen finished exactly 100 not out from 33 balls, reaching his hundred in the 13th over and ending any suspense as New Zealand comfortably overhauled a 170 target.
Allen exploded early in the innings, attacking Marco Jansen with 24 from the first five balls of one over, a burst that swung the match decisively. Tim Seifert’s supporting knock of 58 further accelerated the chase, the pair combining to finish the contest well before the final overs.
South Africa had been steadied earlier by Jansen himself, who hit an unbeaten 55 off 30 as the Proteas recovered from 77-5 to post 169-8 on a surface known at Eden Gardens for suiting run-chases. Dew, which can make bowling progressively harder in second innings, and Santner’s decision to bowl after winning the toss both helped tilt conditions in New Zealand’s favour.
“There is a distinct advantage for batting second,” former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik had observed before the match, referring to the effect of dew. That edge was amplified when skipper Mitchell Santner chose to field first.
Santner lauded Allen’s innings as “special”, calling the partnership with Seifert decisive in a high-pressure knockout. “33 balls for a ton is not too bad!” he joked, adding that producing such a performance against a consistently strong side made it even more satisfying.
Allen said the team would savour the moment briefly before turning attention to the final. He described the hundred as “probably up there” among his best knocks and praised Seifert, noting that when Seifert is in form “it makes it easy for me.”
Proteas captain Aiden Markram, whose side arrived at the semi-final as the tournament’s only unbeaten team, reflected on a frustrating night. He accepted pride in South Africa’s overall tournament showing but pointed to conditions and early bowling challenges as decisive factors.
“They bowled really well up front — the ball didn’t feel like it was coming on, some were stopping in the wicket, which made scoring really tough,” Markram said. “The pressure then builds and you lose wickets, unfortunately. You’ve got to give credit to their bowling unit.”
He added that reaching 170 had given hope at the halfway stage, but “then someone plays an innings like that,” acknowledging Allen and Seifert for ending the contest quickly. Markram summed up the evening as “just a bad night for us tonight.”
The defeat extends South Africa’s wait for a global ICC title at senior level, with the Proteas still seeking their first World Cup win in either the 50-over or T20 formats despite several deep tournament runs. New Zealand have now beaten South Africa in four successive ICC knockout matches, continuing a recent pattern of knockout dominance.
New Zealand advance to the final in Ahmedabad on Sunday. The remaining semi-final, England versus India at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, will determine their opponents for the March 8 final.