Cricket: Nerve-rattling win refires T20 hopes

New Zealand's world T20 championship hopes are alive again, and what's more the draw has dealt them a useful hand for the denouement of the Super Eight stage.

Their nerve-rattling one-run win which eliminated defending champions Pakistan in Barbados yesterday sets up a tantalising day tomorrow in St Lucia.

New Zealand must beat in-form England in their final group game, which will be played after the South Africa-Pakistan game on the same ground.

Therefore New Zealand will know precisely what is required to advance to the last four.

A Pakistan win would be New Zealand's strong preference.

However if South Africa do as expected and win that match, New Zealand will still be ideally placed, and will be armed with a trusty calculator too.

New Zealand's net run rate is -0.300; South Africa's, after their 39-run loss to England yesterday, is -0.650.

The worst outcome for New Zealand would be South Africa belting Pakistan out of sight tomorrow - not inconceivable either after their shattering loss to New Zealand yesterday rubbed them out of contention.

New Zealand owe a debt to their bowlers - again. Defending just 133 for seven, they did a splendid job.

They kept calm when it mattered, and the introduction for the first time in the tournament of fast-medium Kyle Mills and man of the match Ian Butler, who shared five for 52 off eight overs, paid a robust dividend.

"We put ourselves in with a chance by a pretty spirited bowling performance," captain Dan Vettori said.

"We were a few short [with the bat] but we back ourselves as a bowling and fielding unit.

"That's always been our strength no matter what the form of the game and today we were outstanding."

Shane Bond and Mills reduced Pakistan to 27 for three; Butler began with a rare maiden, removed Misban-ul-Haq and dangerous hitter Shahid Afridi and at 58 for five there seemed no way out for Pakistan.

But all the while opener Salman Butt was keeping the flame alive with a composed, skilful unbeaten 67 off 54 balls.

Allrounder Abdul Razzaq twice bumped Vettori into the crowd in the 15th over and Pakistan needed 40 off the last five.

The tension rose as the target reduced. Bond bowled four successive dot balls at Razzaq in the 17th over to ratchet up the drama.

The final act was left to Butler, out of the team, largely through injury, since early February.

Pakistan needed 11 off the last over and Butt took fours off the second and fourth.

The batsmen ran a bye off the fifth leaving spinner Abdur Rehman to get two off Butler's final ball, but he holed out to deep square leg. A single would have set up a one-over eliminator.

"I said at the start of that over to 'Hoppy' [wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins] this is what we play for," Butler said.

"With two balls to go I wasn't sure. There were so many ebbs and flows and we just hung in there."

Had more Pakistani batsmen had Butt's mindset and ability, New Zealand would have been up against it.

Pakistan had all bases covered with a bowling attack comprising both left and right-arm fast-medium, a legspinner, two offspinners and a left-arm spinner.

And it was the slow men who caused New Zealand most difficulties.

The feet wouldn't move and the quartet of Mohammed Hafeez, Rehman, Afridi and Saeed Ajmal conceded only 86 from 14 overs between them.

Between them, Jesse Ryder, Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor managed 12 runs off 25 balls.

Taylor and Scott Styris had feet set in concrete for their dismissals and had it not been for a brisk 33 early from Brendon McCullum - his best hand of the tournament - and Vettori's best T20 score, 38 off 34 balls, New Zealand would have been a sorry sight.

New Zealand may not have realised at the time the significance of Nathan McCullum whacking the final ball of the New Zealand innings over the mid-wicket fence.

England, on current form, will be a far sterner test than Pakistan, even without exhilarating hitter Kevin Pietersen, who has gone home for the birth of his first child.

"Our destiny is in our own hands," Vettori said, which is just the way you'd want it.

Pietersen laid the platform for a commanding victory over his native South Africa yesterday. Man-of-the-match Pietersen's high-class 53 was at the heart of England's 168 for seven against the land of his birth at the Kensington Oval.

South Africa then suffered a dramatic top-order collapse against England spinners Graeme Swann (three for 24) and Michael Yardy (two for 26).

The Proteas lost four wickets for 19 runs as 34 for one was transformed into 53 for five.

WHAT'S NEXT

* New Zealand play England tomorrow in St Lucia at 5.30am (NZT).
* They lie second on net run rate, ahead of South Africa, but must beat England, preferably by a reasonable margin, or risk missing out on the semifinals to their two rivals.
* If South Africa beat Pakistan by a large amount tomorrow they would get ahead of New Zealand on run rate.
* New Zealand have the advantage of playing England after the South Africa-Pakistan game, therefore they will know exactly what is required.
* England will be without key batsman Kevin Pietersen who is returning home for the birth of his first child.