South Africa’s unbeaten run ends with a nine-wicket loss because the Kiwis chase the 170-run goal with 43 balls to spare
New Zealand’s Finn Allen (L) and Tim Seifert bump their fists throughout the 2026 ICC Males’s T20 Cricket World Cup semi-final match between New Zealand and South Africa on the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on March 4, 2026. Photograph: AFP
Finn Allen plundered the quickest century in Twenty20 World Cup historical past to guide New Zealand into the ultimate with a nine-wicket demolition of South Africa on the Eden Gardens on Wednesday.
South Africa, beforehand unbeaten within the match, recovered from a precarious 77-5 to put up a aggressive 169-8 after Marco Jansen led their restoration with a belligerent 55 not out.
Allen smashed an unbeaten 100 off 33 balls, nonetheless, and shared a 117-run opening stand with Tim Seifert (58) as New Zealand romped to their goal in solely 12.5 overs. Allen, who hit eight sixes, completed the match together with his tenth 4 to deliver up the quickest hundred in a T20 worldwide between two full-member nations.
“I might say it is fairly up there,” participant of the match Allen stated. “Clearly, we needed to attempt to put them on the again foot early. I feel it is easy for me when Timmy’s going like that. I can form of simply watch after which hit it when it is in my space after which simply attempt to give him the strike.”
South Africa went into the match on the again of seven wins in a row, together with a seven-wicket thumping of New Zealand in a bunch match. The presence of two left-handed batters in South Africa’s high three prompted New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner to deliver on off-spinner Cole McConchie as early because the second over, and the transfer instantly paid off.
Quinton de Kock (10) was snared at mid-on and Ryan Rickelton slashed the ball to backward level off the subsequent supply. New Zealand had been denied a 3rd powerplay strike when Rachin Ravindra spilled Aiden Markram (18) at midwicket with the South Africa captain on three.
Ravindra made amends in his first over, nonetheless, as Markram was adjudged out regardless that fielder Daryl Mitchell himself was unsure he had accomplished a clear catch within the deep. Extra drama adopted in Ravindra’s subsequent over when Glenn Phillips dropped David Miller, however 5 balls later Mitchell held on at long-off to take away him.
Jimmy Neesham dismissed the damaging Dewald Brevis (34) to scale back South Africa to 77-5 within the eleventh over, however the Proteas fought again as Jansen mixed with Tristan Stubbs (29) in a speedy 73-run stand.
Allen and Seifert seemed in a rush to complete the job from the beginning, amassing 84 runs within the six powerplay overs to take management of the match. Allen plundered 22 runs from a Corbin Bosch over in a scintillating show of power-hitting, and it was not till the tenth over that Kagiso Rabada beat Seifert’s swipe throughout the road and despatched the bails flying.
New Zealand had been cruising by then, nonetheless, and Ravindra joined Allen to finish the chase in dominant model.
Defending champions India tackle twice champions England within the second semi-final in Mumbai on Thursday.
