Finn Allen tore into the record books with a breathtaking 33-ball hundred in the T20 World Cup semi-final against South Africa, propelling New Zealand into the title clash. The explosive opener came out swinging and never eased off, peppering the ground with towering sixes and rasping fours that left the bowlers scrambling for answers.
Allen needed only 19 balls to bring up his half-century and never lifted his foot off the pedal after that, transforming a potentially tricky chase into a lopsided affair as he surged to a 33-ball hundred. With each passing over, New Zealand’s hold on the match strengthened while he tore into the bowling with audacious, clean hitting.
The 170-run target quickly appeared modest as runs flowed freely from his bat, draining any hope of a comeback well before the innings reached its midpoint. He sealed the night in style, drilling a boundary that also completed his remarkable century. New Zealand wrapped up the chase in just 12.5 overs with 9 wickets in hand, completing an emphatic victory that left their opponents with little room to respond.
The innings now ranks as the fastest century ever recorded in T20 World Cup history, surpassing the 47-ball mark set by Chris Gayle against England at Wankhede Stadium in 2016. Beyond the tournament, it is also the quickest hundred scored against a Full Member side in T20 internationals and stands joint third-fastest across all T20Is. The extraordinary knock places him level with Sikandar Raza, who smashed a 33-ball century against Gambia in Nairobi in 2024, underlining the rarity of such a feat.
Fastest T20I hundreds by balls taken
27 – Sahil Chauhan (Estonia) v Cyprus, Episkopi, 2024
29 – Muhammad Fahad (Turkey) v Bulgaria, Sofia, 2025
33 – Finn Allen (NZ) vs SA, Kolkata, 2026
33 – Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton (NAM) vs NEP, Kirtipur, 2024
33 – Sikandar Raza (ZIM) v Gambia, Nairobi, 2024
Allen shared a 117-run stand with his opening partner, Tim Seifert, to set up the foundation of the chase in an emphatic style, which completely blew away the Porteas pacers. Seifert scored 55 runs off 33 balls.
Century stands in T20 World Cup knockouts
170* – Jos Buttler, Alex Hales (ENG) vs IND, Adelaide, 2022 SF
117 – Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (NZ) vs SA, Kolkata, 2026 SF
111 – Craig Kieswetter, Kevin Pietersen (ENG), Bridgetown, 2010 Final
105 – Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (PAK) vs NZ, Sydney, 2022 SF
New Zealand will play either India or England, who face each other on Thursday in Mumbai, in the final in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
