Drama keeps former NZ bowler on his toes

Former Black Cap Chris Pringle

Former Black Cap Chris Pringle paced around his Tauranga home as each ball seemed to swing the match from New Zealand to South Africa and back again.

He watched the game from about six different spots in his lounge as the tension kept him moving, until he could finally celebrate as Grant Elliott hit the winning six to secure New Zealand's spot in the Cricket World Cup final on Sunday.

"I had to apologise to my neighbours this morning because my family were up high-fiving outside late last night," he laughed.

The game looked to be going either way near the end, he said.

"I probably had 20 or 30 moments in the last overs where I really didn't know which way it would go."

The final ball that secured the win was once-in-a-lifetime watching, he said.

"Elliott summed it up like Kane did in the Australia game and just thought I'm gonna hit this out of the park."

The nerve-racking finish made for one of the best cricket games you'll ever see, he said.

"You can't pay for that kind of entertainment. That is once-in-a-decade, once-in-a-lifetime stuff ... I didn't miss a ball. I watched the whole thing."

Mr Pringle said he felt overwhelmed when the Black Caps finally got over the line.

He was feeling confident for the team going into the final on Sunday, with the plan to watch, dressed in his Black Caps gear, at home.

"I have this feeling of invincibility or unstoppableness, the way they've been playing."

Mr Pringle said it was his feeling Australia would also make it to the final "by a whisker".

"But the Australia-India semifinal certainly won't be a one-sided affair."

But he said his money was on the Black Caps to win the final.

"It's going to take a full steam-train of runs to halt our guys as they are a very confident team, who are playing awesome cricket."