A five-match series against India ahead of the T20 World Cup proved helpful, said star New Zealand opener Finn Allen after helping the Kiwis reach the T20 World Cup final with a nine-wicket win over South Africa here on Wednesday as well. He smashed a stunning 33-ball 100 not out as New Zealand chased down 170 in just 12.5 overs, sealing a win with 43 balls to spare.
“It was an extremely impressive start from our bowlers — they set the game up for us, for sure,” Allen said in the post-match media interaction. “On a surface like that, if you can take wickets up front and build pressure, it makes life a lot easier for the batters.”
“…it just shows the importance of that India series the boys played before the World Cup. Five games on black soil… you can’t replicate that kind of preparation,” he said. “We learnt a lot as a group. As a team, we get up for the fight. In those important games, we’re prepared to scrap and stay in it till the end. The boys with the ball especially did that today and really set the tone.”
However, Finn Allen will return to this venue soon as part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad after being bought for Rs 2 crore at the IPL auction. He had smashed 80 in the only game he played for New Zealand in the 1-4 series defeat to India as well.
“I’m pretty happy to bat on that wicket a bit more often… It’s my first time playing in Kolkata. Having had that last game against India on black soil gave me a proper look at what to expect. That was really helpful coming into this one. You take your lessons quickly in international cricket. We didn’t get the results in that series, but we took a lot of confidence out of competing in those conditions,” he stated.
‘He’s an incredible player’ – Finn Allen on Tim Seifert
Finn Allen also reserved special applause for opening partner Tim Seifert, whose 33-ball 58 made sure South Africa never regain control.
“He just kept dealing in boundaries… he’s been doing that all tournament. He’s in incredible form. He’s an incredible player and he’s showing the world what he can do,” Allen said. “It makes it easier for me. Sometimes I feel like I’ve got the best seat in the house watching him go. It’s good fun batting with Timmy when he’s in that mood.”
“We looked closely at that first game against them. They’ve been outstanding all tournament, backing up performances. But playing them earlier gave us a bit of insight into their plans and we tried to use that to our advantage.” On the final on Sunday, “As a nation, hopefully everyone gets behind us and rallies around us for Sunday. Finals are special… you don’t get too many chances at them,” Finn Allen concluded.
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