Kolkata, March 4 (NationPress) South Africa's skipper Aiden Markram acknowledged that his team was outplayed by New Zealand’s dynamic batting during their nine-wicket defeat in the Men’s T20 World Cup semi-final. He extended significant praise to Finn Allen and Tim Seifert for their decisive performances.

Allen set a record for the fastest innings in the tournament's history, scoring 33 runs off just 33 balls, leading New Zealand to chase down 170 runs against South Africa with 43 balls remaining, securing their spot in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad this Sunday.

Allen’s explosive innings, characterized by only four dot balls, was supported by Seifert’s brisk 58 runs off 33 balls. The duo constructed a 117-run opening partnership that effectively dashed South Africa’s hopes of defending their total of 169/8.

Markram remarked, "They bowled exceptionally well at the start. The conditions made scoring challenging, with some balls stopping and others hitting low on the bat. This pressure unfortunately led to losing wickets early on.

“Credit must go to their bowling unit, and when a player performs like that with the bat, it’s hard for the fielding team to emerge victorious. Achieving 170 was a commendable effort. At the halfway mark, we felt we had a chance.

“However, as is typical in T20 cricket, they got off to a fast start during the powerplay, making it difficult to defend boundaries. From that point onward, it was challenging to regain control. Therefore, we give huge credit to Finn Allen and Tim Seifert for ending the game as quickly as they did. Unfortunately, it was just an off night for us,” Markram stated in the post-match presentation.

South Africa entered the match as the only unbeaten team in the tournament but were overwhelmed by Allen’s brilliance, leading to their exit. When asked what the Proteas could have done differently, Markram felt it was premature to decide.

“It’s hard to determine right now. We will analyze as a team. We expected the pitch to perform well; it looked decent. Perhaps we should have adapted more quickly with the bat and gone back to a more traditional approach, aiming for 190 runs to remain competitive.

“We’ll reflect as a group. While we are disappointed with the outcome, I am incredibly proud of this team for their performance throughout the tournament. It was simply an unfortunate evening,” he added.

When asked what message he would convey to the team after another stumble despite their strong performance in the competition, Markram explained, “First, allow emotions to settle. Once that happens, we will discuss as a group, analyzing the game to identify areas for improvement.

“We need to regroup and strive to enhance as a team and as individuals, which will hopefully prepare us better for the future. So, again, we are deeply disappointed. It feels like a significant setback, but we must emerge stronger and improve as a unit moving forward,” he concluded.