New Delhi, March 25 – Johannesburg-born Grant Elliott’s 84 not out, capped with a stunning six off the penultimate ball, saw New Zealand to a four-wicket win over South Africa in a cliffhanger World Cup semi-final at Auckland’s Eden Park on Tuesday.
Elliott’s winning six, off injured South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn, took New Zealand into the World Cup final for the first time. New Zealand faced a revised target of 298 under the Duckworth/Lewis method after South Africa made 281 for five in 43 overs.
Black Caps skipper Brendon McCullum made a typically quickfire 59 off 26 balls at the head of the innings. Then came a 103-run partnership between Elliott and Corey Anderson and New Zealand appeared to have the game in hand with six overs to go.
But Morne Morkel regained the initiative for South Africa by taking a wicket and conceding one run in the 38th over and by the start of the 43rd, and final, over the Kiwis required 12 to win.
They started with a bye, a single, a four to Daniel Vettori, another bye and then Elliott smacked Steyn high into the stands as New Zealand, after losing all six of their previous World Cup semi-finals,completed a thrilling win.
South Africa have now failed to win all four World Cup semifinals they have contested. The Proteas were also undone by two squandered run-out attempts and an embarrassing collision between JP Duminy and Farhaan Behardien which resulted in a dropped catch off Elliott in the 42nd over.
Earlier, De Villiers had set South Africa up for a big finish only to be denied seven overs when rain swept in when they were 216 for three in the 38th over. He produced a rapid 65 not out and, following the twohour rain break, David Miller’s boundary-laden 49 from 18 deliveries got South Africa up to 281 for five. Faf du Plessis top-scored with a patient 82.
New Zealand wicket-keeper Luke Ronchi dropped Quinton de Kock on six. But leftarm paceman trent Boult, the tournament’s leading bowler with 21 wickets, added to his tally by dismissing Amla and de Kock on his way to figures of two for 53.
-INDIA TODAY
