![Allen scored a 33-ball century vs South Africa [Source: AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1772642334284_AllrecordsbrokenbyAllenandSeifertvsSouthAfrica(1).jpg?type=hq)
Allen scored a 33-ball century vs South Africa [Source: AFP]
A chase of 170 runs was never going to trouble the New Zealand side against South Africa at the Eden Gardens, but no one expected the Kiwis to steamroll the Proteas to win the match one-sidedly. The team won by 9 wickets and reached the finals of the T20 World Cup 2026, setting up a date with either India or England.
With a score of 170 to defend, South African bowlers were expected to put up a fight, but that fight never took off as the Kiwi opening duo of Finn Allen and Tim Seifert made a mockery of their attack and achieved the target without breaking a sweat.
Allen went berserk as he smashed a 33-ball century, and this was the fastest in the history of the tournament. His innings was laced with 10 fours and 8 sixes.
The opening pair also achieved several records (some as a pair, some as individuals), as the famed South African attack had no answer to their onslaught. In this piece, we take a look at the list of records broken by Allen and Seifert as the Black Caps have reached the World Cup finale.
Fastest 100s in T20I World Cups (By Balls):
- 33 – Finn Allen (New Zealand) vs South Africa, Kolkata, 2026, Tonight*
- 47 – Chris Gayle (West Indies) vs England, Mumbai (Wankhede), 2016
- 50 – Chris Gayle (West Indies) vs South Africa, Johannesburg, 2007
- 50 – Harry Brook (England) vs Pakistan, Pallekele, 2026
- 51 – Brendon McCullum (New Zealand) vs Bangladesh, Pallekele, 2012
Fastest 100s in T20Is (by Balls):
- 27 – Sahil Chauhan (Estonia) vs Cyprus, Episkopi, 2024
- 29 – Muhammad Fahad (Turkey) vs Bulgaria, Sofia, 2025
- 33 – Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton (Namibia) vs Nepal, Kirtipur, 2024
- 33 – Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe) vs Gambia, Nairobi (Ruaraka), 2024
- 33 – Finn Allen (New Zealand) vs South Africa, Kolkata, 2026, Tonight*
- 34 – Kushal Malla (Nepal) vs Mongolia, Hangzhou, 2023
Highest Individual Score in Knockout Match in T20 WCs:
- 100* - Finn Allen (New Zealand) vs South Africa, Kolkata, 2026, Tonight* (SF)
- 96* – Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka) vs West Indies, The Oval, 2009 (SF)
- 89* – Virat Kohli (India) vs West Indies, Mumbai (Wankhede), 2016 (SF)
- 86* – Alex Hales (England) vs India, Adelaide, 2022 (SF)
Highest Powerplay Scores in T20 WC Knockouts:
- 84/0 by New Zealand vs South Africa, Kolkata, 2026, Tonight* (SF)
- 67/0 by England vs New Zealand, Delhi, 2016 (SF)
- 63/0 by England vs India, Adelaide, 2022 (SF)
The pair of Allen and Seifert broke several records, and one of them was registering the highest powerplay score in T20 World Cup knockouts. They slammed 84 runs inside the first six overs, and the previous best was England's 67 against the Kiwis in 2016.
The third team on the list is once again England as they hammered 63 without losing a wicket against India in 2022.
Highest Powerplay Score for New Zealand in T20Is:
- 92/0 vs Pakistan, Wellington, 2025
- 86/2 vs West Indies, Mount Maunganui, 2018
- 84/0 vs South Africa, Kolkata, 2026, Tonight*
- 79/1 vs Pakistan, Mount Maunganui, 2025
- 79/1 vs India, Thiruvananthapuram, 2026
This was New Zealand's third-highest powerplay score in T20I history (84/0). Their 92 against Pakistan in Wellington (2025) tops the charts, followed by 86/2 vs the West Indies in 2018.
Also Read: Tim Seifert Suffers Painful Injury As Lockie Ferguson Fires 150 Kmph Bullet
Highest Powerplay Score in T20 WCs 2026:
- 86/1 by India vs Namibia, Delhi
- 84/0 by New Zealand vs South Africa, Kolkata, Tonight*
- 83/1 by South Africa vs New Zealand, Ahmedabad
The 84/0 by the Black Caps was the second highest powerplay score by a team in the ongoing T20 World Cup. India's 86/1 against Namibia tops the list, followed by tonight's onslaught by Allen, and Seifert.
Fastest Team 50s for New Zealand in T20 WCs:
- 2.4 Overs vs Scotland, The Oval, 2009
- 3.5 Overs vs Australia, Sydney, 2022
- 4.1 Overs vs New Zealand, Kolkata, 2026, Tonight*
- 4.3 Overs vs UAE, Chennai, 2026
- 4.4 Overs vs Ireland, Nottingham, 2009
New Zealand’s deadly opening pair took just 4.1 overs to reach the 50-run landmark against the Proteas. This was their third fastest to fifty runs in terms of overs. In the 2009 edition, they achieved the same feat against Scotland inside 2.4 overs.
Highest Opening Partnerships in T20 WC Knockouts:
- 170* – Jos Buttler & Alex Hales (England) vs India, Adelaide, 2022
- 117 – Finn Allen & Tim Seifert (New Zealand) vs South Africa, Kolkata, 2026, Tonight*
- 105 – Babar Azam & Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan) vs New Zealand, Sydney, 2022
In the history of the T20 World Cups, this was the second-highest opening stand in a knockout fixture. Alex Hales and Jos Buttler scored an unbeaten 170 against India in 2022, and that tops the charts, followed by tonight's blitz.
Fastest 50s for New Zealand in T20 WCs (By Balls):
- 19 – Finn Allen vs South Africa, Kolkata, 2026, Tonight*
- 22 – Glenn Phillips vs Canada, Chennai, 2026
- 23 – Aaron Redmond vs Ireland, Nottingham, 2009
- 23 – Tim Seifert vs UAE, Chennai, 2026
Finn Allen, on Wednesday gave a special gift to all the New Zealand supporters as he hammered the fastest fifty for New Zealand in a T20 World Cup game (19 balls). The previous best was Glenn Phillips (22 balls) against Canada in the ongoing edition.
Also Read: Marco Jansen Pips Faf du Plessis; Reaches New Heights With Eden Gardens Masterclass
Most Runs in a Single Series in T20Is:
- 463 – Finn Allen & Tim Seifert (New Zealand), ICC Men's T20 World Cup, 2026*
- 459 – Asif Ali & Pavan Kurup (Bahrain), Rwanda Tri-Nation T20I Series, 2025
- 452 – Virandeep Singh & Zubaidi Zulkifle (Malaysia), Quadrangular Twenty20 Series, 2022
The pair of Seifert and Allen have smashed 463 runs, and have scored the highest aggregate by a pair in a T20I series/tournament.
Fastest 50s vs South Africa in T20 WCs (By Balls):
- 19 – Finn Allen (New Zealand), Kolkata, 2026, Tonight*
- 20 – Shadab Khan (Pakistan), Sydney, 2022
- 25 – Stephan Myburgh (Netherlands), Chattogram, 2014
Allen's 19-ball fifty was the fastest against South Africa in a T20 World Cup game. The previous best was Shadab Khan, who slammed a 20-ball half-century in the 2022 edition.
Also Read: Finn Allen, Seifert Knock South Africa Out As New Zealand Storm Into T20 World Cup Final
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