South Africa 281-5 – adjusted to 298 in 42 overs D-L method (Faf Du Plessis 82, AB de Villiers 65*, David Miller 49, Corey Anderson 3-72, Trent Boult 2-53) from 43 overs lost to BLACKCAPS 299-6 in 42.5 overs (Grant Elliott 84*, Brendon McCullum 59, Corey Anderson 58) by four wickets (D/L) at Eden Park in Auckland.
The BLACKCAPS have booked a spot in the Cricket World Cup Final for the first time ever, with a second-to-last-ball win over South Africa by four wickets on the Duckworth-Lewis method.
With 12 runs required from the last over, then five from the last two balls, Grant Elliott, whose partnership with Corey Anderson turned the game in the BLACKCAPS favour, put Dayle Steyn over mid on to give the BLACKCAPS the win by four wickets and send Eden Park into raptures.
Chasing 298, Brendon McCullum punched Dayle Steyn over cover in the first over signalling the start of a blitzkrieg attack on the South African quicks. Their insistance on a short length to McCullum was punished with a series of sixes and fours that sent the home support into a frenzy, and got the chase off to a flyer.
The BLACKCAPS were soon rocketing along at 13s and 14s per over, with Martin Guptill playing the supporint role, with McCullum playing hooks, cuts and a booming straight six that just about collected the television commentary team.
He took 25 runs from Steyn’s third over, bringing up his own half century from just 22 balls to have New Zealand 71-0 after five.
McCullum went in the seventh over, scooping Morne Morkel to Steyn at mid on to end on 59 from 26 balls, having got his side off to a flyer.
Kane Williamson went pulling Morkel onto his stumps, departing for six.
Ross Taylor formed a partnership with Guptill, the pair looking to run the singles and take boundaries, including a huge Guptill six from JP Duminy in the twelfth. The pair accumulated well until Taylor pushed a ball to point and ran – Guptill was unable to make his ground and was run out for 31.
Grant Elliott was off the mark with a four and helped establish momentum, before Taylor got a thin edge to Duminy down leg side to end his innings on 30.
Elliott and Corey Anderson kept the run rate required to manageable levels with quick singles and sweeping Duminy to good effect, with Anderson taking a huge six over mid wicket from Vernon Philander in the 25th.
Imran Tahir was the bowler causing the most problems, Anderson and Elliott were largely happy taking singles, and cashing in from Duminy. Anderson had a huge let off in the 32nd over, when AB de Villiers did well to gather a run out chance, but failed to take the bails off cleanly.
The pair charged through the batting Power Play, with Elliott taking a huge six from Morkel over mid wicket. Both men borught up their half centuries in the 36th over, to the roar of the crowd.
The 100 run partnerhsip was the next milestone, which was brought up in 92 balls, but Anderson went shortly afterwards skying Morkel to du Plessis at square leg for 58 crucial runs from 57 balls.
Ronchi made eight before holing out to Steyn at mid wicket to bring Dan Vettori to the crease. Elliott rode his luck, finding the gap between two colliding fielders in the second to last over.
12 were needed from the last, and after a couple of scrambled singles and a Vettori four, Elliott faced Steyn with five needed from the last two balls. Steyn bowled a length ball that Elliott leaned into and powered over mid on for six, sending Eden Park bananas and the BLACKCAPS to their first ever Cricket World Cup final.
In the first innings, South African skipper AB de Villiers won the toss and chose to bat first, and the BLACKCAPS seam attack got immediate reward.
Trent Boult claimed his CWC 20th scalp when he bowled danger man Hashim Amla for just ten.
Quinton de Kock went for 14 when he caught the top edge that picked out Tim Southee at third man and all of a sudden the BLACKCAPS were on top at 31-2. With that wicket, Boult became the highest ever wicket taker for New Zealand (21) overtaking Geoff Allott’s 20 in the 1999 tournament in England.
Matt Henry, who came into the squad only two days ago for Adam Milne who suffered a heel injury, bowled superbly in his return to the international cricket. His opening spell of five overs went for only nine runs and included two maidens.
South Africa rallied with Rilee Rossouw (39) and Faf du Plessis combining for a patient 83 run partnership, which was broken in the 27th over when Martin Guptill removed Rossouw with a screamer in the gully.
That brought de Villiers to the crease to lift the tempo. He was dropped on 38 by Kane Williamson in a sharp chance at cover.
The only thing that could halt de Villiers’ progress was the rain that arrived in the 38th over and delayed play for over an hour with South Africa flying at 216-3. The World No.1 ODI batsman combined with Faf du Plassis (82) for a 103 run partnership and then David Miller, who smasked 49 from only 18 balls.
Miller came out for the final five overs after the rain break to flay the BLACKCAPS attack without fear and delivered a 50 run partnership with de Villiers in only 23 deliveries.
The Proteas 281-5 was adjusted to 298 on Duckworth Lewis to leaving the BLACKCAPS 43 runs to get it at a shade under seven an over.
McCullum leads his men off at the rain break.
