Allen’s record 137 gives New Zealand series-clinching Pakistan T20 win

AFP | Dunedin                                                      

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

New Zealand sealed their T20 series against Pakistan with two games to spare Wednesday on the back of a record 137 off 62 balls by opener Finn Allen at University Oval in Dunedin.

The Black Caps, sent in to bat in game three of the five-match series, won by 45 runs after posting a colossal 224 for seven and restricting Pakistan to 179 for seven.

It followed their victories by 46 and 21 runs respectively in the first two matches. The swashbuckling Allen, following on from his 74 off 41 balls in game two, frequently belted the ball out of the ground as he smashed 16 sixes and five fours in his whirlwind innings.

He said he has been working on trying to spend more time in the middle while still being explosive. “It’s a bit of both, you know, picking my moments when to go and picking bowlers too. For me, playing the ball on its merits and hitting it where it’s supposed to go is kind of what I’ve been trying to do,” he said.

Mitch Santner, standing in as New Zealand captain for the injured Kane Williamson, said the innings went as planned. “The way he constructed his innings, we talked about trying to do it for as long as he can, and he did it for a long time today.”