The cricketing world stood up and took notice as New Zealand’s promising young talent, Finn Allen, wielded his bat like a sledgehammer against Pakistan’s bowling attack in the third T20 International at University Oval, Dunedin. The 24-year-old right-hander unleashed a brutal exhibition of hitting, racing to 137 runs from just 62 deliveries, thereby not only achieving the highest individual T20I score by a New Zealander but also surpassing Brendon McCullum’s formidable 11-year-old record.
Allen’s incredible performance was peppered with a staggering 16 sixes, a feat that equals the record for the most sixes in a T20 international, sharing the spotlight with Afghanistan’s Hazratullah Zazai. Additionally, he dispatched the ball past the boundary for five fours, an astonishing chapter in his fledgling career.
The onslaught spearheaded by Allen didn’t just rewrite the record books; it also sent the opposition into disarray. With a strike rate that soared to 220.96, that day at the University Oval became less about the match itself and more about how far the boundaries of individual brilliance in the shortest format could be expanded. Even as the early departure of his opening partner, Devon Conway, left New Zealand at 28 for 1, Allen demonstrated a masterclass in aggression and control that left the Pakistan bowlers helpless and spectators spellbound.
Though the other Kiwi batsmen took a backseat to the Allen show, his mammoth second-wicket partnership of 125 runs with Tim Seifert—who contributed a respectable 31 from 23 balls—cemented the hosts’ dominance. Seifert’s support, albeit eclipsed by Allen’s pyrotechnics, was vital in bolstering the innings after the initial setback.
Indeed, no other Kiwi batsman needed to make a significant contribution, such was the havoc wreaked by Allen. He brought up his century with a signature boundary through deep extra cover off the bowling of Shaheen Shah Afridi, reaching the milestone in just 48 balls.
His eventual score of 137—the joint-fifth highest in the T20I format—drew level with record-holders like Kushal Malla and Hungary’s Zeeshan Kukikhel. Nonetheless, like all good things, Allen’s knock reached its conclusion in the 18th over. Misjudging a delivery from Zaman Khan, he attempted a pull shot only to drag the ball onto his stumps, bringing an end to a spellbinding innings that will be talked about for years to come.
The Black Caps finished their innings at a formidable 224 for 7 from their 20 overs, setting a steep mountain for Pakistan to climb—a mountain built from Allen’s skill and aggression with the bat.
In a world where cricket is often punctuated by tactical nuances and calculated strategies, Allen’s tour de force was a gentle reminder of the sheer joy and unpredictability that power-hitting brings to the game, ensuring the history books will always have a special place for the youngster who, on a serene day in Dunedin, became an overnight sensation.
His extraordinary feat not only raises the bar for the Kiwis and their emerging stars but also places him in the pantheon of great innings witnessed in T20 internationals. For fans and fellow cricketers alike, Finn Allen’s display of raw, unfettered power and audacity will remain etched as a symbol of what’s possible when talent meets opportunity on the cricket field. The future indeed looks promising, much like the trajectory of every ball that left Allen’s bat that fateful day.
