Finn Allen equalled the world record for most sixes in a T20 International as he smashed 16 sixes to propel New Zealand to a thumping 45-run victory against Pakistan in the third T20 International in Dunedin on Wednesday.
Allen hammered 137 from 62 balls, hitting 16 sixes and five fours, to steer New Zealand to 224/7 in their 20 overs but Pakistan could only manage 179/7 as the Kiwis sealed the five-match series 3-0.
Allen equalled the world record set by Afghanistan's Hazratullah Zazai of Afghanistan of 16 sixes, during his superb knock of 162 from 62 balls against Ireland in 2019. He also bagged the record for the highest score by a New Zealand batter in T20 internationals, surpassing Brendon McCullum's 123 against Bangladesh in 2012.
It was an exhibition of brutal strokeplay as Allen tore apart the Pakistani bowling line-up. Three of his sixes were sent flying out of the University Oval in Dunedin with the ball having to replaced each time while two of sixes were more than 100 meters.
He started the carnage in the third over when he hit Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi for two sixes in a row before he slammed Haris Rauf for three sixes and two fours in the sixth over as he raced to his fifty from 26 balls.
Allen continued to assault the Pakistan bowlers, hitting spinner Mohammad Nawaz for a couple of sixes in the ninth over.
Rauf suffered further as the hands of Allen, who smashed him for three sixes in a row in the 12th over before a six and a boundary off Afridi in the next over saw him race past his century off just 48 balls.
It continued to rain sixes as Allen hit Nawaz for two consecutive sixes in the 15th over and repeated the dose on pacer Mohammad Wasim Jr in the following over before was dismissed by Zaman Khan in the 18th over.
For Pakistan, Babar Azam was the lone batter to challenge the Kiwis as he hit a quickfire 58 from 37 balls, his third fifty in a row but nothing from the rest.
