New Zealand await India or England in T20 World Cup final
The Black Caps comfortably beat South Africa in semi-finals
New Zealand made light work of South Africa to earn their place in the ICC T20 World Cup final where they will face either India or England.
The two sides go head-to-head on Thursday evening 17:30 (GMT) at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
New Zealand’s route to the final
New Zealand reached the final of the T20 World Cup after a composed and resilient campaign that few had predicted before the tournament began.
Most pre-tournament predictions included cricket powerhouses India, England and Australia as the likely champions. Led by the calm leadership of Mitchell Santner, however, New Zealand quietly built momentum through the competition, gradually establishing themselves as serious contenders for the title.
Their run to the final was even more impressive considering the setbacks they had experienced earlier in the tournament. Defeats against both the England and South Africa were results that raised questions about whether they could challenge the tournament’s strongest sides.
New Zealand ultimately proved they were deserved finalists when they gained revenge over the South Africa in the semi-final, after having lost to them earlier in the group stage of the tournament.
In a commanding display, the Kiwis comfortably chased down a target of 170, with Finn Allen producing a sensational innings to lead the charge. Allen was the star of the show, blasting a remarkable 33-ball century that dismantled South Africa’s bowling attack and sealed a convincing victory, sending New Zealand into the final with confidence and momentum.
Tim Seifert labels Finn Allen a “superstar”
Following New Zealand’s victory over South Africa, Black Caps batter Tim Seifert was full of praise for the performance he and his teammates produced, and reserved special tribute for Finn Allen after he hit the fastest T20 World Cup century ever.
“It’s unbelievable to make a final, but even better because of the way we did it,” said Seifert. “That win gives us momentum going into the final and that’s always what you want in a tournament situation.”
“Me and Finn (Allen) wanted to put pressure on the South Africa bowlers, we talk batting a lot with each other and we know what gets each other going, so I’m very pleased with the way we went about it.
“It was an unbelievable knock by Finn and he’s a superstar.”
