Finn Allen's record 33-ball century sinks South Africa and blasts New Zealand into 2026 T20 World Cup final against England or India
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Published 04/03/2026 at 18:16 GMT
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New Zealand will face either England or India in the 2026 T20 World Cup final after Finn Allen struck the fastest hundred in the competition's history. Allen needed 33 balls to notch his century, beating the previous mark held by West Indies' Chris Gayle, who fired his ton off 47 balls against England in 2016. The Black Caps were set 170 by South Africa and reached it with 43 balls to spare.
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Finn Allen propelled New Zealand into a second men's T20 World Cup final as the Black Caps dismantled 2024 runners-up South Africa by nine wickets in a semi-final that quickly turned into a one-sided spectacle in Kolkata.
Set 170 for victory after a late surge from Marco Jansen, New Zealand’s response was nothing short of ferocious.
Allen's unbeaten 100 from just 33 balls - an innings lit up by 10 fours and eight sixes - made light of a seemingly competitive target and marked the fastest hundred in T20 World Cup history.
The chase was completed with 43 balls to spare, a margin that underlined the gulf between the sides on the night in a reversal of fortunes from when South Africa clinched a seven-wicket victory over their opponents in the group stage.
Reflecting on surpassing Chris Gayle's previous record, who needed 47 balls for his ton for West Indies against England in 2016, Allen said: "That is up there with the best. I wanted to put a good performance in for the team.
"We wanted to start straight and get them on the back foot early. When Tim [Tim Seifert] is going like that, I can just give him the strike and contribute when I need.
"It is easy in a semi-final to stay up for the fight, and we keep each other looking straight. You have to adapt to the wicket and training is important. You take the positives and celebrate the success. We have a final to win on Sunday, and we look forward to that."
New Zealand will now face either India or England in Sunday's final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
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New Zealand will now face either England or India in Sunday's final
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Earlier, Jansen’s 27-ball half-century had earned South Africa a fighting chance. Reeling at 77 for five, the Proteas found resistance through a 73-run sixth-wicket stand between Jansen and Tristan Stubbs, who contributed a measured 29.
Jansen finished unbeaten on 55 from 30 deliveries, striking five sixes to lift his side from 108 for five to 169 for eight - a total that, at the interval, carried a hint of respectability.
But whatever hope South Africa harboured was swiftly extinguished.
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Allen and Tim Seifert launched a breathtaking assault from the outset, plundering 84 runs inside the powerplay. Seifert’s 58 from 33 balls was blistering in its own right, and together the openers ransacked 117 runs in just 55 deliveries for the first wicket.
If the opening stand destabilised the contest, Allen's acceleration shattered it entirely. He dominated a 56-run partnership with Rachin Ravindra, smashing 42 runs from just 11 balls at one stage, including five consecutive boundaries off Jansen to seal a resounding victory.
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Allen's composed innings ensured the Black Caps won by nine wickets
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Previously unbeaten throughout the tournament, South Africa faltered badly after losing the toss. Early blows - the departures of Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton in successive deliveries - set a precarious tone.
Though Aiden Markram and David Miller were afforded reprieves, neither capitalised. When Dewald Brevis fell in the 11th over, the innings appeared beyond repair, and Jansen's half-century wasn't enough to save it.
Markram: It feels like a slap in the face
Jansen’s late defiance was rendered irrelevant by the ruthlessness of New Zealand's reply. For South Africa, it was a case of peaking too early in the tournament.
"You look at conditions, they bowled well up front," their captain Markram said. "They made scoring tough and credit to the bowling unit. You won't come out the right side many times as the fielding team.
"To get to 170 was a great effort, and we felt we had a sniff. But as it goes in T20 cricket, the powerplay got off to a flayer, and it was hard to pull back. You give credit to their openers to kill the game like they did. It was bad night for us tonight.
"We will reflect as a group, and we needed to adapt with the bat. We are disappointed, but we are proud of this group of guys, and it is just a tough evening.
"We will let the emotion settle, and then you have to break down the game. We have to get back on the horse and prepare for the future. It feels like a slap in the face, and we need to be better as a team."
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