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In a knock that will remain indelibly etched in history, New Zealand's Finn Allen scored a record-shattering century, leading his team to a decisive 45-run victory over Pakistan in the third T20I at the University Oval in Dunedin on January 17. This win propelled New Zealand to an insurmountable 3-0 lead in their five-match T20I series. Allen's phenomenal performance broke Brendon McCullum's 12-year record, registering the highest individual score in T20I cricket for New Zealand.
Allen's innings was a masterclass in aggressive batting, as he amassed 137 runs from just 62 deliveries. His knock, comprising five fours and a record-equalling 16 sixes, was instrumental in setting up New Zealand's imposing total of 224/7. This feat also elevated him to the fifth spot in all-time individual scores in T20I cricket.
New Zealand's batting innings began positively, though it suffered an early setback with Devon Conway's dismissal by Haris Rauf. However, Allen's arrival at the crease changed the game's complexion. He partnered with Tim Siefert to build a substantial 125-run stand for the second wicket, with Siefert contributing 31 runs before his dismissal.
Allen's batting prowess continued unabated, and he achieved his second T20I century at a rapid pace. His innings eventually ended in the 18th over, but not before he had steered his team to a strong position.
Glenn Phillips also made a valuable contribution, scoring 19 runs off 15 balls. Despite Rauf's efforts in taking two wickets, he was expensive, conceding 60 runs in his spell.
In response, Pakistan started their chase with an early loss but soon found stability with Mohammad Rizwan (24 runs off 20 balls) and Babar Azam at the crease, who built a 39-run partnership. Rizwan's 24 off 20 balls and Babar's consistent form, scoring his third consecutive half-century of the series, kept Pakistan in the hunt. However, a series of quick wickets, including those of Fakhar Zaman (19 runs off 10 balls), Azam Khan (10 runs off 7 balls), and Iftikhar Ahmed (1 run off 4 balls), derailed their chase.
Despite the increasing run-rate, Babar kept the fight alive but eventually fell to Ish Sodhi's spin. Babar's 58 off 37 deliveries was the highlight of Pakistan's batting effort.
In the closing stages of the match, Mohammad Nawaz (28 runs off 15 balls) and Shaheen Afridi (16 not out off 11 balls) showed resilience with their cameos, but their efforts fell short as Pakistan ended their innings at 179/7, 45 runs behind the target.
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