The crisp Dunedin air crackled with a different kind of electricity on Wednesday. On the field at the University Oval, it wasn’t just the clash of the Black Caps and Pakistan, but the explosive bat of Finn Allen that sent tremors through the record books. His 137-run rampage, peppered with a world-record-equaling 16 sixes, not only propelled New Zealand to a 45-run victory and an unassailable 3-0 series lead, but also etched his name in the annals of T20 history.
Record-Breaker Finn Allen: Sealing Victories with Sixes
It was a masterclass in raw power and calculated shot selection. Allen, batting first after being sent in by Pakistan, didn’t waste any time laying the foundation for his innings. Two consecutive sixes off Shaheen Shah Afridi in the third over served as a warning shot, a glimpse of the fireworks to come. The sixth over witnessed the Haris Rauf Show, albeit not the one he would have scripted.
Six, four, four, six, six, one – Allen rained down blows on his teammate from the Major League Cricket’s San Francisco Unicorns, plundering 28 runs off the over. His 50 arrived in a mere 26 balls, a ballistic blitzkrieg of three fours and five sixes, the longest a 107-meter monster off Haris Nawaz.
But Allen wasn’t done yet. He upped the ante, reaching his second T20 international century off just 48 balls, a feat adorned with 11 sixes. The partnership with Tim Seifert (31) flourished, a 125-run alliance built over 61 balls that solidified New Zealand’s dominance. By the time Allen perished in the 18th over, he had left behind a staggering 203-4 on the scoreboard, an insurmountable mountain for Pakistan to scale.
Finn Allen’s Six-Hit Symphony
While Babar Azam, with his third consecutive half-century of the series, tried valiantly to keep the chase alive, the task at hand proved too colossal. Saim Ayub and Mohammad Rizwan’s early departures left Pakistan floundering, and none of Babar’s partnerships materialized into the match-winning stands they desperately needed. The chase eventually petered out at 179-7, handing Pakistan their seventh defeat in their last eight T20 internationals.
The match, however, belonged to Finn Allen. His record-equalling 16 sixes weren’t just statistics; they were sonic booms, testaments to his unbridled power and a masterclass in clean hitting. Two of his sixes cleared the 100-meter mark, one sailing majestically over the adjacent rugby ground’s crossbar. Three others vanished into the vast Dunedin sky, lost and irretrievable, demanding replacements. He feasted on Haris Rauf, his teammate in another life, extracting 28 runs from an over that began so promisingly with just two runs conceded.
But Allen’s innings wasn’t just about brute force. It was a carefully constructed masterpiece, built upon a solid foundation of smart shot selection. He picked his moments, identified the bowlers to target, and unleashed his fury precisely when the situation demanded. “What I’ve been working on is trying to have a solid foundation, a solid base and trying to build from there and hit the ball where it’s supposed to go,” he later reflected, attributing his success to a newfound approach.
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This wasn’t just a victory for New Zealand; it was a coronation for Finn Allen. He emerged from the shadow of Brendon McCullum, the former Kiwi T20 record holder, and etched his own name in the pantheon of great players. His innings will be remembered not just for the sheer number of sixes, but for the audacity, the precision, and the sheer joy of watching a young player rewrite the script in a single, unforgettable afternoon.
As Pakistan grapples with a slump heading into this year’s World Cup, New Zealand, bolstered by Allen’s newfound firepower, looks ahead with renewed confidence. The echoes of Finn Allen’s six-hitting symphony will resonate through the corridors of the World Cup stadiums, a reminder that on a Wednesday in Dunedin, a young Kiwi batsman carved his name in the very fabric of T20 history.