NEW DELHI: New Zealand opener Finn Allen etched his name into the record books, smashing a record-breaking 137 off just 62 deliveries in the third Twenty20 international against Pakistan in Dunedin on Wednesday.
Allen's extraordinary innings not only surpassed the previous highest score by a New Zealander in a T20 international – Brendon McCullum's 123 – but also equaled the world record for the most sixes in an innings, a feat held by Afghanistan's Hazratullah Zazai with 16 maximums.
Scorecard: NZ vs PAK, 3rd T20I
Haris Rauf bore the brunt of Allen's onslaught, as the Kiwi batsman took 27 runs off a single over, showcasing his dominance with three sixes, two fours, and a single.
The whirlwind knock positioned New Zealand strongly, setting Pakistan an imposing target of 225 runs to win the third T20 international and potentially clinch the five-match series with two games in hand.
After the early dismissal of Devon Conway for seven, Allen partnered with Tim Seifert, amassing a formidable 125-run partnership for the second wicket. Seifert played a pivotal supporting role, focusing on rotating the strike to keep the aggressive Allen on strike.
The umpires found themselves replacing the ball three times during Allen's innings, a testament to the sheer force of his shots that sent missiles out of the ground.
Allen's spectacular innings was brought to an end in the 18th over when he was bowled by an off-cutter from Zaman Khan, who, in a display of sportsmanship, applauded the New Zealand batsman as he left the field.
(With inputs from AFP)
