Finn Allen was the hero for New Zealand as his unbeaten century saw his team defeat South Africa by nine wickets in the T20 World Cup semi-final at Eden Gardens.
The Black Caps will now face either England or India in Sunday’s showpiece final. England take on co-hosts and defending champions India in the other semi‑final at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
Allen’s Century Decimates South Africa
Finn Allen’s innings demolished the 2024 runners-up, South Africa. One observer called it one of the best ever cricket innings, saying it was insane. Another commenter lamented that England could not put together an opening partnership like that.
Santner’s Reaction to Victory
New Zealand captain Mitch Santner said it was nice to win against a strong South Africa side. He said his team had learned from their defeat to South Africa in the group stage. Santner added that the team were trying to chop and change during bowling because the wicket was good, and it was a short ground with a fast outfield.
Regarding Tim Seifert and Finn Allen, Santner said it was nice to watch them. He noted that getting through the powerplay without a wicket down puts the team in a good position. Santner pointed out that 33 balls for a 100 is not bad.
Markram Reflects on Defeat
South Africa captain Aiden Markram acknowledged that New Zealand bowled well up front, making scoring difficult. He gave credit to their openers for killing the game. Markram admitted it was a bad night for his team.
Markram said that getting to 170 was a great effort and they felt they had a sniff. But he said that the powerplay got off to a flyer and it was hard to pull back. Markram stated that his team will reflect and they needed to adapt with the bat.
England Face India in Second Semi-Final
The second semi-final of this T20 World Cup will be between England and India. Live coverage will begin at 13:00 GMT tomorrow, with the first ball scheduled for 13:30.
The winner will face New Zealand in the final in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Mitch Santner said his team had been to that ground before, and there were a lot of different factors that go in. He added that they were happy with the win and had a couple of days to think about what happens next.
Aiden Markram said his team will let the emotion settle and then break down the game. He added that they need to get back on the horse and prepare for the future.