Finn Allen has stormed into cricket history. The New Zealand opener scored an unbeaten 100 off just 33 balls, the fastest century in Men's T20 World Cups, as New Zealand knocked out South Africa—who were unbeaten until this semi-final—and launched into their second men's T20 World Cup final. It was a masterclass in aggressive batting that left one of cricket's most dominant teams completely overwhelmed.
After restricting South Africa to 169/8, the Black Caps raced to 173/1 in 12.5 overs for a dominant nine-wicket win. Allen's performance was absolutely explosive. He hit eight sixes and 10 fours, bringing up his first fifty off 19 balls before astonishingly accelerating to his second fifty in just 14 balls. The previous record was held by Chris Gayle, who scored a 100 in 47 balls against England in 2016—Allen absolutely obliterated that mark.
The Black Caps came into the semi-final in uncertain circumstances. Matt Henry, New Zealand's bowling spearhead, was on the way back home from Colombo for the birth of his second child, and the team nervously awaited his return. But Henry came back firing. McConchie and left-arm spinner Ravindra made early inroads with two wickets each, while pacer Matt Henry also claimed two wickets, keeping South Africa in check. New Zealand will appear in their second T20 World Cup final on Sunday, when they'll face the winner of today's England vs. India semi-final in Ahmedabad.