Finn Allen becomes fifth Kiwi batter to smash T20I century
New Zealand's Finn Allen dispatched a sublime-looking 101 off 56 deliveries in the first of two-match T20Is against Scotland on Wednesday. It was his maiden ton in international cricket. The opening batter slammed eight fours and six sixes, guiding NZ to 225/5 in 20 overs. Notably, the 23-year-old became the fifth Kiwi batter to record a T20I ton. We decode his stats.
Fifth Kiwi batter to clock a T20I hundred
Allen is only the fifth batter from New Zealand to have a century to his name in the format. He has joined the likes of Colin Munro (101, 109*, and 104), Martin Guptill (101* and 105), Brendon McCullum (116* and 123), and Glenn Phillips (108). Allen is the 19th player to clock a T20I century in 2022.
Why does this story matter?
Allen's talent was evident right from the early stages, given he had scored a 29-ball 71 in his third outing. Plus, he had awe-striking numbers at the domestic level, which spoke volumes of his competence in the shortest format. A maiden international ton is always special, and for him to register one in the 20-overs cricket makes it even sweeter.
Allen's whirlwind ton lights up Edinburgh
Hamza Tahir dropped Allen on the third delivery of the innings. The latter punished the hosts left, right, and center thereafter. He fetched an 85-run stand with Guptill and later added 51 and 39 runs alongside Phillips and Daryl Mitchell, respectively. However, Allen's knock was cut short in the 18th over as he was stumped out in an attempt for a big hit.
A look at Allen's cricketing career
Allen, who made his T20I debut against Bangladesh in 2021, has hoarded 307 runs across 10 outings. He averages a healthy 30.70 and has struck at an awe-inspiring rate of 178.48. He has a hundred and a fifty each. On the boundary front, the right-hander has tonked 33 fours and 17 sixes. Meanwhile, Allen has 99 runs from three ODIs at 33.00.
Guptill scripts a monumental feat!
Guptill's 31-ball 40 saw the opening batter race to 3,399 runs in 116 T20Is. He surpassed Rohit Sharma's count (3,379) to become the highest run-getter in the format. He smashed four fours and two sixes during his stay. Guptill would be raring to extend the run tally in the second and final T20I scheduled on July 29.
How did the first T20I pan out?
Scotland conceded 225/5 after opting to bowl first. Kiwi batters belted the hosts throughout. Later, a fiery cameo from James Neesham (9-ball 30) obliterated the Scottish attack thereby paving way for a monumental total. Scotland had a decent start as they managed 62/1 in 8.1 overs. However, Ish Sodhi's 4/28 trounced their top and middle order to put them out of the chase (157/8).
