Allen labels South Africa win 'huge confidence booster' ahead of T20 World Cup final

[p]Opener [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/allen-finn/WUFfwo8t/"]Allen[/a] hit the fastest-ever T20 World Cup century, off 33 balls, to give his side a crushing nine-wicket win over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/south-africa/tUhlKzIm/"]South Africa[/a] and set up a final against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/india/fcOzl2uI/"]India[/a] or [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/UJC5mtAU/"]England[/a] in Ahmedabad on Sunday.[/p][p]Allen blasted 10 fours and eight sixes as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-zealand/G6PWlrQB/"]New Zealand[/a] raced to their victory target of 170 with 7.1 overs to spare [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/cricket/new-zealand-G6PWlrQB/south-africa-tUhlKzIm/?mid=xMIHPzWI"]at Kolkata's Eden Gardens[/a].[/p][p]It was a bruising defeat for 2024 runners-up South Africa, who had been unbeaten in the tournament.[/p][p][b]"They fight hard, they come hard at us, they've got good, tall, fast bowlers, and it makes it challenging for us,"[/b] Allen said of Aiden Markram's South Africa.[/p][p][b]"Their boys hit the ball hard, so to get one over them is a huge confidence booster for us going into Sunday. They've been the in-form team the whole tournament."[/b][/p][p]The Auckland-born Allen rose to the occasion in the knockout match after ordinary outings in the tournament apart from his unbeaten 84 against the UAE in a group fixture.[/p][embed guid="d96edba6-329c-40ab-8e30-2ae31d50fc08" url="https://x.com/BLACKCAPS/status/2029236733251076167" social-type="twitter" /][p]Allen said his heroics in India would have kept his parents and the nation awake to cheer the team.[/p][p][b]"I'm sure my parents are up watching the whole game. Hopefully, they're proud.[/b][/p][p][b]"But I think as a nation, I think hopefully everyone gets behind us and rallies around us for Sunday,"[/b] said Allen.[/p][p]The final will begin at around 2.30 am on Monday morning in New Zealand.[/p][p][b]"Obviously, difficult time for people to watch back home, but I'm sure people were keeping tabs on the game, and hopefully they can get up and have a Monday off at work and watch the final."[/b][/p][p]Allen put on 117 with opening partner [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/seifert-tim/YTiWO6ug/"]Tim Seifert[/a], who made 58, to pummel the opposition attack that included high-quality pacemen Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi.[/p][h2]'Best seat in the house'[/h2][p]Seifert was the early aggressor as he raced to 41 off 21 balls before Allen took over and finished with two fours, two sixes and a four to raise his hundred and seal victory.[/p][p]Allen said batting with Seifert makes life easy.[/p][p][b]"He's in incredible form, he's an incredible player, and I think he's just showing the world what he can do,"[/b] said Allen.[/p][p][b]"And I think that makes it easy for me to sit back and have the best seat in the house. So, yeah, it's good fun batting with Timmy."[/b][/p][embed guid="94c975c2-bb5b-4ca6-bb20-1aece17482d8" url="https://x.com/BLACKCAPS/status/2029238298682769534" social-type="twitter" /][p]New Zealand squeaked into the semi-finals on net run-rate ahead of Pakistan and lost to South Africa by seven wickets in the group stage.[/p][p]But Allen said a five-match T20 series in India, which the visitors lost 4-1, ahead of the World Cup, prepared them for the grind.[/p][p][b]"I think it shows the importance of that India series that the boys played before the World Cup,"[/b] he said.[/p][p][b]"Five games on all black soil (pitches) and I think it just shows that as a team we get up for the fight (in) those important fixtures."[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/cricket/world/t20-world-cup/"]Follow the T20 World Cup with Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]