NZ vs UAE Match 11 Commentary - Chennai (10 February 2026)

Angles away a length ball, outside off, Allen bends low and swipes it across to mid-wicket for a single.

SIX! There is the game! In the slot, a touch fuller and touch wider. Seifert leans inside the line and launches it over long off for a massive six. The Kiwi openers have broken the world record for the highest partnership in the Men's T20 World Cup for any wicket, going past the pair of Jos Buttler and Alex Hales, who added 170* against India in 2022 at Adelaide. New Zealand chased down a mammoth total with 10 wickets in hand and close to 5 overs to spare. 

A slower-length delivery, outside off, Seifert slaps it down to long off for a single.

A pinpoint yorker, angling around off, Allen squeezes it out through covers for a single. 

A bumper, slower one and around off, Seifert waits for it to arrive and pulls it to deep mid-wicket for one.

Hard-length delivery, into the surface and on middle, Allen pulls it to deep mid-wicket and rotates the strike.

Well bowled again! No pace behind this shorter delivery, around off, Seifert gets on top and works it to cow corner for one more.

Excellent over! Junaid Siddique serves it full and drifts it on leg, Allen tries to heave it away but gets a faint inside edge onto the pads. It rolls to point for a single.

SIX! The Kiwis are in a hurry now! Muhammad Arfan serves this full and on off, in the slot as well. Finn Allen gets his front leg out of the way, drags his shot a bit and smashes it over the deep mid-wicket fence for a flat six.

Pitched up and outside off, Finn Allen reaches out and opens the face of his bat to slice it over backward point for a brace.

Fuller and outside off, Finn Allen reaches out but lifts it from the toe-end of his bat towards long off for a single. 20 needed in 39 balls now.

WIDE! Tries the wide yorker, but way outside off. Not sure whether Tim Seifert is batting or fielding. He dives towards the ball to reach out for it, but still cannot connect. Wided.

FOUR! Somehow gets it away! Pitched up and way outside off again. Tim Seifert once again throws his bat at it while falling over. He still manages to hit it cleanly and gets it wide of deep extra cover for a boundary.

Fuller and wide outside off one more, Tim Seifert tries to repeat the dose but this time slices it a bit towards sweeper cover, still gets back for the second run.

Yet another fuller one, on off, Tim Seifert works it off the inner half of his bat towards mid-wicket for one more. 17 runs from the over, two big hits away now are New Zealand. 

Short of a length and on middle, takes all the pace off. Finn Allen shuffles across for the scoop but has to wait an eternity for the ball to arrive and misses it.

Bangs this into the pitch, on middle, Finn Allen pulls it away but does not get it from the middle. It flies towards deep mid-wicket but drops well ahead of the fielder, who dives to his right to grab it with one hand, on the bounce. Two taken.

A fine yorker, on middle, angling in sharply, Finn Allen fails to tuck it away and gets hit on the pads.

FOUR! Back to business as usual for the Kiwis! Junaid Siddique tries the slower bumper, around off. Finn Allen waits for it this time and swats it using his muscle strength between deep mid-wicket and long on for a boundary.

Hard length and outside off, Finn Allen cuts it away to deep point for one.

A quick bouncer this time, on middle, Tim Seifert moves across to hook it away but gets nowhere near the ball. 29 needed in 42 balls now.

Nails the yorker, on middle, tailing in, Finn Allen jams it out towards deep mid-wicket and comes back for the second run.

A low full toss, on off, Finn Allen drills it down the ground. The fielder from long off runs to his left and makes a good sliding stop. They cross.

Fuller and around off, Tim Seifert drives it towards extra cover, where the fielder dives to his left to stop it well. Just one.

Pitched up and on middle, Finn Allen slogs it wide of long on. Alishan Sharafu quickly moves to his right and cuts it out to save three runs for his side. A single taken.

Another full delivery, on off, Tim Seifert bunts it out to long off for one more.

Low full toss, on middle, Finn Allen steps across and clips it towards deep square leg for another run. An over without a boundary after a long time.

Floated, short and on middle, Tim Seifert backs away and punches it to long off for a single.

Flatter, short and around off, Finn Allen looks to slog it across the line but tries to hit a bit too hard. He loses his shape and gets an inside edge onto his pads as the ball goes nowhere.

Drops it short again, on middle and off, Finn Allen stabs it out to short extra cover.

Dragged back and around middle, Finn Allen forces it down to long off for a run.

SIX! That is a shot and a half! Tossed up, full and around middle. Tim Seifert changes his stance quickly, gets down on one knee and nails the reverse sweep over backward point. He times it so well that it sails over the fence for a biggie.

FOUR! Gets it away! Fires in a low full toss around off, Tim Seifert goes for the reverse sweep and hits it towards short third. Junaid Siddique is late to get down to his left and lets it through for a boundary. Even with the 10 runs in the last two balls, Haider Ali finishes his spell, giving away just 27 runs. Superb spell amidst all the chaos!

Dishes out a fuller-length delivery, outside off, Allen throws his blade and plays one-handedly to deep cover for a single.

Keeps it wide outside off, fuller length. Tim Seifert nicely guides it to third man for a single.

Excellent effort in the deep! A low full toss, outside off, Finn Allen crunches it to deep cover. Picks the gap but Sohaib Khan runs to his right, dives and saves a couple of runs.

Slightly short, outside off, room on offer and Finn Allen flat-bats it to long off for a single. Good over from Rohid so far.

Hangs in a low full toss, outside off, Seifert plays it down to long off and rotates the strike.

FOUR! Oh, we do have a boundary in this over too. A bit too full and in the slot. Allen clears his front foot to hit it as straight as possible. Hits it wide of long off and despite the effort in the deep, the ball kisses the ropes. At the halfway mark, there is only one team ruling the roost.

Muhammad Arfan serves it a touch fuller, outside off, Seifert hits it firmly through covers for a single.

A slower-length delivery on top of off, Finn Allen picks up and hits it to deep mid-wicket, where the fielder runs in and picks up on a bounce. A single.

Slower, into the surface and around off, Seifert pulls it along the ground and to deep square leg for one more. 100 up for the Kiwis.

FOUR! A boundary in this over too! Arfan bowls a pace-on delivery, a half-volley, around off and Finn Allen dispatches it down to long on and bags a boundary. 

Fifty for Finn Allen! He brings it up in just 27 deliveries. Short in length and on middle, Allen gets on top of the bounce and pulls it to deep square leg for a single. New Zealand are making a mockery of the run chase.

FOUR! 12 runs off the over. Into the slot, asking to be hit! Arfan bowls it full and on middle, Seifert pumps it over Arfan's head and it races to the fence in a flash. The required rate drops below 6 now, this has been a truly lethal partnership.

FOUR! Runs continue to flow! A slower delivery, into the wicket and outside off, Finn Allen frees his arms and lofts it over mid off for yet another boundary. 

This is very full and around off, Allen drops it down to mid off for a quick single.

Overpitched delivery, wide outside off, Seifert bends across and pats it to long off for a run.

Fuller delivery, close to the tramline. Allen takes a step across and slashes his blade and misses.

SIX! Oh, the sound the ball made when it kissed the blade! Delicious! Bowls it full and in the slot, on middle, comes with the angle and Allen wasn't going to miss it. He launches it high over long on and lands it in the second tier. 

Ouch! Allen nails it a bit too accurately to find his partner! Slides in a length ball on middle and leg. Allen takes a step back and hits it to the non-striker's end. Seifert struggles to get away and wears one onto the body. The ball rolls and hits the stumps at Seifert's end. Allen goes up to his partner and both batters share a fist-bump.

UAE continue to remain sloppy on the ground. Ali serves it full and outside off, Allen knocks it to cover, where Muhammad Waseem lets it through his hands for a single. 

An arm ball, drifting onto the batter, on middle and leg. Seifert is pegged back as he looks to flick but misses and gets hit on the pads. Clearly going down. Oh, hang on. United Arab Emirates have taken the review for LBW. UltraEdge shows a flat line as the ball passes the inside edge. Ball Tracking shows it is the umpire's call on hitting the wickets, as the ball is just clipping the leg pole. Turned out to be a decent review from the UAE.

Floats it a touch fuller and around off, Seifert sweeps it to deep square leg for a single.

Bowls it flat with the natural trajectory, hitting the top of off, Allen pushes it to cover.

A half-tracker on the slower side and around off, Finn Allen works it down to long on and rotates the strike. 

FOUR! FIFTY FOR SEIFERT, in just 23 deliveries. Tossed up, fuller and around off, Seifert makes room and lofts it over extra cover. The fielder in the deep is a bit too wide and it rolls to the fence. Back-to-back fifties for the Kiwi opener.

FOUR! These two are hard to stop right now! Not that short, this is on middle, Seifert clears his front leg and swipes across to deep square leg for a boundary. 

SIX! OH, YES! That's the shot of the innings so far! Back of a length, around off and was the off-cutter but didn't matter much to Seifert as he was quick to pick the length, hammer it over cow corner for a six.

FOUR! More timing than power on this shot! Rohid goes very full and around off, Seifert presents the full face of the bat and thumps it down the ground to long off for a boundary. 

FOUR! Seifert is playing with the field now! UAE just brought long on inside the ring. Rohid bowls it full and around off, Seifert hits it down past mid on and it races away to the fence. 

Dragged length, off-cutter, outside off, pulled to the right of mid on for a single.

Back of a length and on middle, a little bit of shape. Allen beautifully punches it to long off, but just for a single. 20 runs off the over. At the end of the Powerplay, New Zealand are 78/0.

Floated, short and on middle, Finn Allen heaves it away to deep mid-wicket for a single.

FOUR! Short and punished! Dhruv Parashar bowls a half-tracker, on middle and off. Tim Seifert makes a bit of room and absolutely smacks it past the diving mid off fielder to his left for another boundary.

Flatter, full and on middle, Tim Seifert eases it to long on for one. 50 up for the Kiwis!

SIX! Into the stands! Dhruv Parashar drags his length back again, on middle, begging to be put away. Finn Allen picks up the length early, rocks back and whacks it over the deep mid-wicket fence for a biggie.

Short again and on off, Finn Allen punches it to long off for another run.

Another short delivery, on middle, Tim Seifert swats it to long on for one more. 14 from the over, 36 in the last two, the Kiwis are cruising.

SIX! Welcome to the game, Junaid Siddique! He serves this full, on middle and leg, right in the slot. Finn Allen hits it through the line and dispatches it over the wide long on fence for a biggie.

WIDE! Back of a length but angling down the leg side, Finn Allen tries to hook it away but misses. Wided.

Hits the length hard and on off, Finn Allen stays back and stabs it out to short cover.

SIX! Outrageous from Finn Allen! Junaid Siddique goes fuller and around off. Allen shuffles across early to get inside the line of the ball and nails the scoop over the deep fine leg fence for another biggie.

Sloppy! A slower one, full and on off, Finn Allen knocks it down the pitch. Junaid Siddique is a bit late to get down on his follow-through and lets it through his legs. Allen calls his partner for the run and makes his ground, with the fielder missing his shy at the bowler's end.

MISFIELD AND FOUR! More sloppy fielding from UAE! Pitched up and around off, Tim Seifert drills it wide of mid off. Muhammad Waseem gets across to his left, but dives over the ball, letting it through as it races to the fence for a boundary.

FOUR MORE! Another full delivery, on off. Tim Seifert extends his arms to reach out for it and pumps it down the ground to the long off fence for four more runs. 22 runs off Junaid's first over.

Floated, short and on middle, Finn Allen moves back and flicks it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Tossed up, full and on middle and leg, Tim Seifert looks to slog it away but gets it from the bottom half of the bat as the ball rolls towards mid on.

Goes short and on off, Tim Seifert punches it to long off for a run.

Shorter once more and around off, Finn Allen moves back and forces it to long off for another run.

Dragged back and on middle, Tim Seifert does not have much room to work with and slaps it to long off for one.

Two excellent overs from Haider Ali! This is another short delivery, on middle and off, Finn Allen pats it to long off for one more.

Muhammad Rohid begins with a back-of-a-length delivery, outside off, Tim Seifert cuts it away but straight to cover-point.

Touch fuller and on off, Tim Seifert drills it towards mid on and sets off for the single. The fielder charges onto the ball but fails to pick it up cleanly, with Seifert making his ground safely.

FOUR! Takes the aerial route! Fuller delivery, outside off, angling away. Finn Allen throws his hands at it. It goes off the outer half of the bat and flies over extra cover. Almost carries all the way but just bounces before the ropes for the first boundary of the chase.

Short of a length and on off, Finn Allen dabs it wide of point for a run.

FOUR! Fine shot! Muhammad Rohid pitches it up but angles it into the pads. Tim Seifert backs away a bit, opens up his front leg and shovels it over mid-wicket for a boundary.

FOUR! You cannot bowl there! Back of a length and outside off, with no protection in the deep. Tim Seifert gets the chance to free his arms and cuts it powerfully over point for another boundary. 14 runs off the over.

The Kiwis are up and running in the chase! Haider Ali starts with a short delivery, on middle, angling in. Tim Seifert stays back and nudges it to mid-wicket for a single.

Short again and on middle and off, Finn Allen rocks back and punches it to long off for a run.

Flatter, short again and around off. Tim Seifert backs away and tries to cut but gets a bit hurried. He stabs it down to cover-point.

Flighted, full and on off, Tim Seifert drives it to long off for another run.

Drags his length back and on off, Finn Allen moves back and punches it to cover.

Pushed through quicker, shortish and on off, Finn Allen stays back and crunches it but cannot get it past cover. Just 3 runs off the first over!