Finn Allen smashes fastest T20 World Cup century to propel New Zealand into final

 Finn Allen celebrates his record-breaking century during the T20 World Cup semifinal.

Finn Allen struck an unbeaten 100 off 33 balls to power New Zealand to a nine-wicket win over South Africa in the T20 World Cup semifinal. The Black Caps chased 170 with 43 balls remaining at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Allen's knock included 10 fours and eight sixes, eclipsing Chris Gayle's previous record of 47 balls set in 2016.

Tim Seifert added 58 off 33 balls in a 117-run opening stand. Rachin Ravindra finished unbeaten on 19. New Zealand advanced to Sunday's final against the England-India winner.

South Africa recovered from 77-5 to post 169-8. Marco Jansen top-scored with an unbeaten 55 off 27 deliveries. New Zealand pacers restricted the middle order after early breakthroughs.

Allen sealed victory with a boundary off Jansen that brought up his century. The performance marked his third T20I hundred. New Zealand posted 173-1 in 12.5 overs.

Captain Mitchell Santner praised the batting firepower. The win avenged a group-stage loss to South Africa. Allen's blitz set the tone from the first over.

New Zealand entered the tournament as underdogs. Allen led the run-scoring with 289 runs across seven innings prior to the semifinal. His strike rate exceeded 200.

The final takes place in Ahmedabad. New Zealand seeks their first T20 World Cup title. Allen's form positions the openers as key threats.

South Africa exited in another semifinal heartbreak. They reached the 2024 final but fell short. Jansen's late surge proved insufficient against the onslaught