Allen’s antics give NZ a 3-0 series lead

Black Caps opener Finn Allen acknowledges the applause after scoring a century during game three of the T20 International series at the University Oval in Dunedin yesterday. PHOTOS: GERARD O’BRIEN

Most of us have played that innings in our imagination.

Finn Allen played that innings in front of a capacity crowd at the University Oval in Dunedin yesterday.

Pakistan did not stand a chance.

The hard-hitting opener thumped 137 from 62 balls to help the home side post a formidable total of 224 for seven.

The 24-year-old flayed a T20 international record-equalling 16 sixes.

That is 16 sixes. Sixteen!

Three or four of them disappeared out of the ground.

The umpires had to dig into the box of spare balls regularly.

Allen’s tally was the highest for a New Zealand batsman, eclipsing the 123 Brendon McCullum whacked against Bangladesh in 2012.

He got a standing ovation from 4180 satisfied fans when he was eventually dismissed. What a fabulous knock.

Tim Seifert played a nice cameo of 31. He fed the strike to Allen and combined in a partnership of 125 for the second wicket.

New Zealand’s total was the highest T20 innings at the venue.

Pakistan was never able to mount a run at the massive target.

Babar Azam stroked 58 but he did not get the support he needed from the likes of Fakhar Zaman (19) and Iftikhar Ahmed (1).

Lockie Ferguson got the key wicket of Zaman with a back of a length delivery which the batter could not get on top of.

Mitchell Santner took the catch and he ran out Ahmed with a direct hit.

The 45-run win secured New Zealand an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-game series and extended their unbeaten record across all three format at the venue to 21 games.

But the day belonged to Allen.

He put his excellent form — he clobbered 74 in game two — down to more control.

"I think it is just being clear on the way I want to play my cricket and I guess putting time into my method.

"I’m just trying to have a stable base.

"I think I’m just evaluating risk and the times I want to take high risk options and that sort of thing."

There had been talk about him not batting for long enough, but he has certainly done that in the last two games.

Fellow opener Devon Conway loses control of his bat.

"I’m trying to have more control now and being more decisive."

Allen showed his power in the third over. He clouted a delivery from Shaheen Shah Afridi over midwicket and out of the ground for a big six.

The spare balls came out and a replacement was found.

But that nearly went missing as well. He thumped the next delivery in a similar direction and the replacement sailed 98m.

Someone found it — probably lying on the service road — and chucked it back.

Devon Conway could not get hold of it, though. He sliced a catch to Muhammad Nawaz and departed for seven.

The talented left-hander looks a little out of touch.

Zaman Khan switched ends and got slapped for consecutive boundaries by Tim Seifert.

It was a good start for the Northern Districts gloveman.

Meanwhile, Allen was banging it over the rope seemingly every other delivery.

Haris Rauf got clobbered for three sixes and two fours in a monster 28-run over.

Rauf took a break but Allen was awaiting his return and whacked consecutive sixes.

The bowler responded by pushing the next one wide and the one after that even wider. He got the ball back on target, but it sailed over long-on for another monster six to bring up the 100 run partnership.

Seifert had been more or less a passenger during the 125-run stand and holed out for 31, but not before Allen brought up his second T20 international century. And it came off just 48 balls — the third fastest for New Zealand.

Seconi's three big moments

- Finn Allen smashed a delivery from Shaheen Shah Afridi over midwicket and out of the ground for a big six in the third over. He casually hit another 15 sixes in an extraordinary innings. But that first one was the sighter.

- If there was one player in the Pakistan lineup who could ruin the home side’s day it was Fakhar Zaman. But the speedster Lockie Ferguson picked up the prized wicket. He hit the back of a good length and Zaman could not get on top of the bounce and holed out for 19.

- Mitchell Santner hit the stumps with a direct throw to run out Iftikhar Ahmed for one. That was another major threat removed.

NEW ZEALAND

F Allen b Zaman Khan 137 (62)

D Conway c M Nawaz b Haris Rauf 7 (8)

T Seifert c Saim Ayub b M Wasim 31 (23)

D Mitchell c Zaman Khan b M Nawaz 8 (5)