Corey Anderson of New Zealand hits legside with Quinton de Kock of South Africa behind the stumps. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Corey Anderson of New Zealand hits legside with Quinton de Kock of South Africa behind the stumps. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Follow our live coverage of today's semi-final with Black Caps all rounder Jimmy Neesham, sports writers Nick Edlin and Cameron McMillan and the Herald’s team of reporters and commentators. All times NZT. Scroll to end of article for ball-by-ball stats
10.57pm: NEW ZEALAND WINS!!!! What a great moment in New Zealand sport. Elliott belts a six off the second-to-last ball of the game to bring it on home for the Black Caps. They have made it through to their first ever World Cup final. A date at the MCG against Australia or India awaits on Sunday.
Grant Elliott has turned himself into a Kiwi hero. His knock of 84 off 73 balls saw New Zealand home in the most difficult of run chases.
Thanks so much for your company. Make sure you check out the match reports, which will be online shortly.
10.53pm: LAST OVER • 10 runs required off 4 balls. Drama - Steyn has gone down injured and is getting treatment. • Vettori hits a four. 6 runs off 3 required. • Vettori gets a single. 5 off 2 required. • Elliott hits a six!!!
10.49pm: New Zealand 284-6 (42 overs) Brilliant work from Elliott. It was a tight old over from Morkel, but he found the boundary when we really needed it. The next ball he skies it high and two South African fielders run into each other. Crazy stuff, but Elliott survives. One over to go, 12 runs needed.
10.43pm: New Zealand 275-6 (41 overs) What is there left to say? Vettori and Elliott are at the crease. They have two overs in which to score 23 runs to take New Zealand to its first World Cup final. Morkel to bowl.
10.39pm: New Zealand 269-6 (41st over) WICKET! Ronchi goes, caught in the deep off the bowling of Steyn. Vettori comes to the crease. What can Dan do? 29 off 17 is the equation.
10.36pm: New Zealand 269-5 (40 overs) Ian Smith has just called it a cliffhanger, and that's exactly what this game is turning out to be. Elliott is playing a superb hand - he has a run-a-ball 63. Steyn to bowl.
10.33pm: New Zealand 262-5 (39 overs) Elliott spanks de Villiers for six over mid wicket. 36 from 24 needed.
10.26pm: New Zealand 252-5 (38 overs) WICKET! Anderson goes. He tries to pull a short ball from Morkel, but he gets a top edge and it flies incredibly high into the air. Faf du Plessis takes a great catch at square leg. The ball was in the air a long time, and du Plessis would have been having some awful thoughts underneath it. And so ends a brilliant innings from Anderson, who made 58. Luke Ronchi comes to the crease.
10.20pm: New Zealand 252-4 (37 overs) Anderson hits a four off the last ball of de Villiers' over. It's all falling the Black Caps' way. They need 47 from 36 balls for the win. The partnership is now worth 102 runs. Outstanding.
10.13pm: New Zealand 243-4 (36 overs) 50 for Anderson! He brings up the milestone off 47 balls. Can he be New Zealand's hero? Elliott just brings up his 50 as well! His comes off 53 balls. 55 off 42 required. The crowd is on its feet. Amazing scenes at Eden Park.
10.10pm: New Zealand 231-4 (35 overs) New Zealand take 12 off that over from Morne Morkel. The equation now is 67 off 48 balls, six wickets in hand. Anderson has 45, Elliott has 47. Imran Tahir comes back into the attack. He has been brilliant so far tonight.
4 more! But unless we win - this is my fave moment from tonite. Not so for the lady in blue though. #NZvSApic.twitter.com/veNF5BzghY
10.08pm: New Zealand 225-4 (35th over) Outstanding stuff from Elliott. Smashes a six off Morkel and follows it up with a well-worked single. Partnership is worth 77 off 79 balls. Great work.
AB de Villiers of South Africa fails to run out Corey Anderson. Photo / Jason Oxenham
9.57pm: New Zealand 214-4 (33 overs) The Black Caps are 45 runs away from making the World Cup final. They have 59 deliveries in which to get them. Nervous? Steyn isn't having the best of nights - he's gone for 55 off 6.3 overs.
9.54pm: New Zealand 208-4 (33rd over) Powerplay time. It will last for four overs due to the reduction in the game.
9.51pm: New Zealand 203-4 (32 overs) Is this the partnership, are these the men to take New Zealand through to their first ever World Cup final. Just maybe. There was a run out for all money there - Anderson was stranded, he'd basically given up, but when the fielder threw the ball to de Villiers at the stumps, the great captain dropped the ball and broke the stumps without the ball in his hands. Has he just dropped the World Cup? Elliott is on 37, Anderson 33. The Black Caps need 90 off 66.
Steve Waugh is sledging de Villiers right now. #NZvSA
9.45pm: New Zealand 200-4 (31st over) 200 up for the Black Caps. 98 needed ...
9.40pm: New Zealand 199-4 (30 overs) Steyn back into the attack. Danger time. But Anderson and Elliott handle him without too much trouble, three runs coming from the over. This is getting very tight. De Villiers brings himself into the attack from the other end.
9.38pm: New Zealand 196-4 (29 overs) Great partnership between Elliot and Anderson - it's worth 47 now. No sign from either of them that they're ready to tee off yet, which means this game is going down to the wire. Imran Tahir has been a star for South Africa. His seven overs have gone for just 21 runs. NZ needs 102 from 84 balls.
9.30pm: New Zealand 178-4 (27 overs) New Zealand needs 119 runs off 96 balls now. What do you reckon? The crowd noise has dropped noticeably, which probably has something to do with the tension. We're on a knife edge here. It will take something very special for New Zealand to get home from this point, but we have the personnel to do it. A place in the World Cup final is on the line.
9.23pm: New Zealand 174-4 (26 overs) The Black Caps are hanging tough in this game. Anderson belted a six off Philander, but he and Elliott are struggling to make inroads against the miserly spin of Tahir. That asking rate keeps inching up - it's around 7.2 now. They don't want to let it get too much higher.
Here's what the Herald's Dylan Cleaver has to say: "Just like the first drinks break, you'd far rather be where South Africa are, but hope remains. Imran Tahir has been brilliant, but we've scored heavily against the seamers. McCullum's opening salvo has ensured that NZ's flat patches haven't pushed them too far behind the run rate. NZ have to treat this like a T20 chase."
How are we all feeling? Is this up there with the tension of 2011 and "that" final ?
9.17pm: New Zealand 165-4 (24 overs) Duminy came back into the attack, and Anderson and Elliott looked to free the arms a bit. 10 runs from the over. Elliott has 19 from 19 while Anderson has 10 from 11. New Zealand needs a further 133 runs to make it to their first ever World Cup final. Can they do it?
We only need to get to 297 for the tie to advance. #everyruncounts
9.11pm: New Zealand 151-4 (23 overs) Steyn is back on the field, so whatever it was can't have been that serious. Philander is bowling beautifully, but Anderson decides to counter-punch with a nicely driven four down the ground. The required rate is up over seven now.
9.05pm: New Zealand 149-4 (22nd over) WICKET! Ross Taylor goes, caught behind off the bowling of Tahir. It was a soft dismissal. The ball was drifting down leg and Taylor just tried to work it around the corner. The ball caught his glove and was caught by de Kock. Anderson comes to the crease with the task looking very, very difficult now. Can't confirm this, but rumour has it that Steyn is off the field. Will let you know if it's an injury.
Corey Corey Corey Corey Corey Corey Corey Anderson! He bats and bowls! He bowls and bats! #NZvSA
9.00pm: New Zealand 148-3 (21 overs) The game is still very much in the balance. NZ still needs another 150 runs at 6.8 an over, which is do-able. They key, though, will be to not lose any more wickets for at least another 10 overs. All Taylor and Elliott have to do is lay the foundation. Nothing fancy needed at this point.
After what's been said over the last couple of weeks, Ross bringing this home would be so, so sweet.
8.55pm: New Zealand 140-3 (19 overs) Taylor needs to atone for that run out, and what better way to do it than winning the game for NZ? He looks fired up. He has 29 from 34, while Elliott has six off five. Tahir is keeping things nice and tight, having only conceded 13 runs from four overs.
8.51pm: New Zealand 134-3 (18 overs) De Villiers can sniff blood. He brings Steyn back into the attack.
8.46pm: New Zealand 128-3 (18th over) WICKET! Guptill goes, run out. Taylor hit the ball straight to the fielder at point and took off for a suicidal run. Guptill left totally stranded. He departs for 34. Elliott comes to the crease. Taylor has a very guilty look on his face. There was no need to take the risk.
Hmm another run out. Love Ross Taylor, but he's the worst runner in the cricket.
8.44pm: New Zealand 126-2 (17 overs) Guptill has just picked up where he left off from Wellington. In fact, he's fashioning a very similar innings. He's building very nicely at the moment, with 34 from 38. He and Taylor need to keep this up for a while longer yet. They need to play the platform for the hitters such as Anderson and Ronchi.
8.35pm: New Zealand 116-2 (16 overs) Philander and Tahir are bowling nicely, but Guptill and Taylor seem largely untroubled. Their partnership is worth 35 runs. This is intelligent batting. With the asking rate hovering around the 6.5 mark, there's no need to go crazy just yet.
8.30pm: New Zealand 107-2 (13 overs) Imran Tahir back into the attack. Ross Taylor looks to be in a much more positive frame of mind tonight. Which he needs to be, of course.
8.23pm: New Zealand 104-2 (12 overs) The Black Caps bring up their 100 with a huge six from Guptill off Duminy. Still can't figure out why de Villiers is bowling his fifth best bowler this early in the innings, especially when they'd made good in-roads by taking the wickets of McCullum and Williamson. Guptill and Taylor are rebuilding nicely, and have already put together a partnership of 23. Wickets in hand is going to be the key to NZ winning this, as the current required rate of 6.2 is more than manageable.
Here's what the Herald's Dylan Cleaver has to say: "On the surface, NZ are in a better position than when South Africa's batsmen took their first libation. However we know what happened after that. Odds still stacked heavily in the visitors' favour, but there is hope."
8.19pm: New Zealand 94-2 (11 overs) Taylor looked good against Morkel in that over. He's gone to 10 from seven balls and looks to be in an aggressive mood. This is a gilt-edged opportunity for him to shine. The required run-rate is around 6.4 per over.
It feels like the Eden Park crowd is in bed smoking a cigarette after that whirlwind McCullum affair. #rooted#NZvSA#CWC15
8.15pm: New Zealand 88-2 (10 overs) Strange stuff from South Africa. Taylor comes to the crease and de Villiers decides to bring JP Duminy on. He's a part-timer at best. New Zealand are going at a tick under nine an over after the first 10.
8.10pm: New Zealand 81-2 (9th over) WICKET! Williamson goes. That's a borderline disaster for New Zealand. KW had just pulled Morkel through mid-wicket for four and looked to repeat the dose next ball, but unfortunately he got a bottom edge and dragged the ball onto his stumps. A difficult task just got that much harder. Ross Taylor comes to the crease.
Brendon McCullum scored 59 from 26 balls. Photo / Jason Oxenham
8.05pm: New Zealand 73-1 (8 overs) Things have quietened down considerably since McCullum departed. The good thing from New Zealand's perspective is that Guptill and Williamson now have a bit of breathing room to build a partnership. The required rate is now hovering around the 6.3 mark. If the Black Caps can keep wickets in hand they'll fancy themselves. Guptill is on 10, Williamson on 2.
7.57pm: New Zealand 71-1 (7th over) WICKET! McCullum departs for 59 from 26. The previous maiden created a bit of pressure, so McCullum had no choice but to come out swinging against Morkel. He charged and slapped a shortish ball straight to Steyn at mid-on. A fabulous innings comes to an end. Kane Williamson comes to the crease. Brilliant work from McCullum - he has brought the run rate right down to 6.2 an over. That is do-able for players like Williamson, Taylor and Anderson.
7.54pm: New Zealand 71-0 (6 overs) Great over that from Tahir - a maiden. He tied Guptill up in knots and had a close lbw shout turned down. Looks like he will be very difficult to score off.
7.50pm: New Zealand 71-0 (5 overs) 50 for McCullum! And off just 22 balls. He's just spanked Steyn for two sixes and two fours in that over. He now has 59 off 25 balls. This is breathtaking stuff - the 40,000-strong crowd is going mad. Imran Tahir into the attack to take the pace off the ball.
7.45pm: New Zealand 46-0 (4 overs) Brendon McCullum isn't going to die wondering tonight. In no time at all he's gone to 35 off 19 balls. Martin Guptill has just got in on the act as well, hitting a four off the last ball of Morne Morkel's over. The required rate is down to 6.4 now.
Amazing. I've seen Baz do this about 10 times this summer and STILL you sit there, mouth open, wondering what the hell is going on.
7.32pm: New Zealand 26-0 (2 overs) McCullum took to Philander in that over - two fours and a six to complement four wides from an erratic first ball. 18 off the over. If New Zealand can keep this up for 10 overs or so then they're in with a shot. They've already got the required run rate down to 6.6.
7.29pm: New Zealand 8-0 (1 over) Good start from the Black Caps. Steyn looked threatening, but McCullum managed one of his trademark sixes. Philander to bowl from the other end.
7.23pm: New Zealand 0-0 Here we go. McCullum and Guptill are out in the middle. Dale Steyn has the ball in his hand. Let's get it on!
Here is the first innings report from the Herald's Andrew Alderson:
South Africa accelerated to a daunting 281 for five at Eden Park in a rain-reduced 43-over World Cup semi-final which, under the Duckworth-Lewis method, amounts to a boosted chase of 298 for New Zealand.
It could have been worse. If the visitors had accessed their allotment the total was tracking towards 350-plus.
Incoming rain at 4.51pm played to New Zealand's strategic advantage by cancelling the momentum generated in the 103-run stand between Faf du Plessis (82 off 107 balls) and AB de Villiers (65 off 45).
Whether intentional or not, the pair went a way to exacting 2011 Dhaka quarter-final utu for an ugly confrontation between the teams when de Villiers was run out with du Plessis at the crease.
Before the World Cup, du Plessis had a vision: "In my perfect world I would like to play New Zealand in the semi-final and have that same situation arise again.
"But this time it will be the other way around. We'll be the team that's on top, and we can do the same to them."
He and his teammates get a chance to flesh out this plan shortly, or possibly tomorrow, if rain persists.
South Africa are in a strong position - more than 288 has been chased down once before at Eden Park, by New Zealand in 2007 against Australia when they scored 340 for five in 48.4 overs.
The innings threatened to reduce the country's OECD status via a lack of office and manufacturing productivity, if the crowd was a gauge.
The early cacophony diminished as du Plessis and Rilee Rossouw overcame the loss of Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock to Trent Boult which left them 31 for two in the eighth over. They conserved their energy as the third-wicket partnership built to 83 off 110 balls.
Rossouw flashed at a cut and was caught one-handed by Guptill from Corey Anderson's short and wide second ball. Rossouw's exit, for 39 off 53, was the curtain-raiser for captain AB de Villiers' entry.
De Villiers and du Plessis had swotted up on the New Zealand attack. They came together at 114 for three in the 26th over, eased to 129 after 30 and then produced the exponential entertainment. Six overs in the first 30 went at more than a run-a-ball compared to 11 of the last 13.
South Africa scored 87 runs in eight overs until rain disrupted play. They made 65 in five upon the resumption.
De Villiers looked invincible, giving the impression of a premonition when bowlers approached, such was the speed of his footwork and hands through the ball. His late cuts, guided through a slip cordon that McCullum opted to vacate, were imperious as he gave himself room stepping towards leg and opened the face. He was merciless driving, pulling and generally clobbering any length that took his fancy, particularly against Anderson.
Southee also struggled with his lengths when he bowled full with mid-off up but he adjusted better when long-off was set later in the final overs.
Anderson snared Rossouw, du Plessis - the second ball after the resumption with a review for a wide - and Miller for 49 off 18 in an innings that looked more like golf. He scored his runs in a 55-run fifth-wicket stand with de Villiers. Anderson went for 72 from his six overs. He highlighted one of New Zealand's inadequacies; filling the allotment of a fifth bowler.
Kane Williamson and Grant Elliott were also used as captain Brendon McCullum gambled his main resources of Boult and Daniel Vettori early. Matt Henry made a solid contribution with none for 40 from eight, including two maidens, in his sudden elevation after a turbulent 48 hours. His first five overs conceded just nine runs as he rose the 'Hen-ree' chant echoing around the stadium.
7.15pm: New Zealand needs 298 off 43 overs Messrs Duckworth and Lewis have worked their mysterious magic and decided that the Black Caps need 298 off 43 overs to win. Tough. Very tough. Especially when you consider South Africa's bowling lineup includes Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander and Imran Tahir. Stick with us - New Zealand's innings will get underway in just a few minutes.
7.13pm: South Africa 281-5 (43 overs) That's it for South Africa. They piled on 65 runs in the five overs after the rain delay. The final score will be adjusted by the Duckworth-Lewis method shortly. Whatever it is, NZ will need around seven an over right from the outset.
7.09pm: South Africa 272-5 (43rd over) WICKET! Anderson strikes yet again, picking up Miller caught behind by Ronchi. Amazing innings from Miller. He scored 49 from 18 balls and has put his side into a commanding position.
7.07pm: South Africa 265-4 (42 overs) Better over that from Tim Southee - only seven from it. He used the short ball to get effect, with neither Miller nor de Villiers able to latch on. One over to go and it's going to be Anderson to bowl it.
7.00pm: South Africa 258-4 (41 overs) This Miller guy is a freak - incredible strength. He walked down the pitch and flat-batted Anderson for six. Next ball Anderson tossed up a half-volley which the South African swung through the arc over cow corner. 20 runs from that over, and Miller has gone to 38 off 13 balls. Southee is about to bowl his final over.
6.56pm: South Africa 239-4 (40 overs) Miller gave Southee some real tap in that over. Southee couldn't quite get his lines right and Miller took full advantage, hitting four boundaries. He's raced to 20 off eight balls.
6.51pm: South Africa 222-4 (39 overs) Great stuff from Anderson - a wicket and only six runs off that last over. Southee to bowl now. Remember that South Africa only has 43 overs to bat. The crowd is in terrific voice - sounds a bit like an English football match out there. Brilliant scenes.
6.48pm: South Africa 217-4 (39th over) WICKET! Corey Anderson picks up Faf du Plessis for 82. Weird dismissal. Short ball that Faf attempted to pull. The umpire called it a wide and the Black Caps hardly appealed. McCullum went upstairs for a review for the heck of it but the replays showed that the ball just touched the glove. David Miller is the new batsman.
6.45pm: South Africa 216-3 We're underway. Five overs to go.
6.41pm: Rain delay We're just a few minutes away from resuming play. The sun is shining over Mt Eden - heartening sight.
6.32pm: Rain delay This is unconfirmed, but a 43-over game would mean New Zealand have to bowl a further five overs. Southee would be able to bowl two of those, Henry one, and then the the other two would most likely come from either Anderson or Elliott.
The disappointment of the rain delay has been made up for with more time at the bar. #BacktheBlackCaps#buuuurp.
6.28pm: Rain delay According to Simon Doull play will get back underway in about 20 minutes, and it will be a 43-over match.
6.23pm: Rain delay Annoyingly, Sky TV is showing replays of old games so we have no new information to hand. Twitter is still suggesting that the covers are off. We'll update you as soon as we have fresh information.
6.15pm: Rain delay Good news. Possibly.
There is a massive cheer around Eden Park as they look to take the covers off. Standby. #nzvsa#BacktheBlackCaps ^PT
6.05pm: Rain delay Nothing to report yet. The rain is still falling, but it seems to be fine out west. Looks as though we will lose overs from the game if the players are able to get back out there tonight. That could mean South Africa bats fewer overs or New Zealand just goes straight into bat, depending on how long the delay is. Either way the infamous Duckworth-Lewis formula will come into play. If we can't get any more play tonight, South Africa will resume tomorrow at 216-3 off 38 overs.
Herald reporter Matthew Theunissen has just filed this piece during the break in play:
Former New Zealand allrounder Dion Nash looked on the bright side of the rain.
"Hopefully it gives the Black Caps a little bit of a pause just to get their thoughts. "It was getting away on us a little bit so we'll see. Sometimes these breaks can work in your favour, and de Villiers in particular is looking dangerous."
Nash said South Africa looked like scoring in excess of 300.
"That would be a competitive total. I don't think it means we're out of the game, but I think South Africa would be disappointed if they didn't make 300.
"But I think the Black Caps have bowled beautifully and it looks like it's going to be a great cricket match at this point, let's wait and see."
Auckland man Nikhil Zaveri, a senior manager of a healthcare company, said if the game was rained off today, he'd take another day off work.
"I told the boss if there's rain today I'm not coming to work tomorrow, simple as that," he said.
"I'd stay up all night if we were playing at night. Cricket always comes first, get your priorities right."
5.47pm: Rain delay The fickle Auckland weather is toying with us. The covers came off momentarily but we're back on just as quickly as the rain rolled in again. Just a reminder - South Africa were 216-3 when play stopped. AB de Villiers is on 60 from 38 balls, while Faf du Plessis is on 82 from 106. Stan Walker has been entertaining the crowd during the delay.
just started drizzling harder. false dawns and all that.light northerly and guess where grubby stuff coming from...
5.26pm: Rain delay Lots of things to chat about during this rain delay, but we're finding it hard in the newsroom to decide whether it favours New Zealand or not. Either way, before the rain South Africa seemed poised to bat New Zealand out of the game. If we're able to get some more play today, de Villiers and du Plessis will have lost their formidable momentum. That can only be a good thing from the Black Caps' point of view.
If the rain continues and play doesn't resume today then the game will continue tomorrow from 2pm with South Africa still on 216 for three with 12 overs remaining.
The ICC conditions and rules for the tournament states: 12.1 Law 12.1 e) "Every effort will be made to complete the match on the scheduled day with any necessary reduction in overs taking place and only if the minimum number of overs necessary to constitute a match cannot be bowled on the scheduled day will the match be completed on the reserve day."
12.1 Law 12.1 f) "If the match has started on the scheduled day and overs are subsequently reduced following an interruption, but no further play is possible, the match will resume on the reserve day at the point where the last ball was played."
If there is no play tomorrow as well, which is unlikely as the weather is expected to be fine, then New Zealand would advance to the final.
4.51pm: South Africa 216-3 (38 overs) The players are leaving the field as there is a steady drizzle hanging over Eden Park. The forecast suggests it should clear soon enough, so hopefully the delay won't be a long one.
NZ need a huddle. Have to likely fiddle 6-7 more overs from Elliott, Anderson, Williamson. Tough
4.47pm: South Africa 204-3 (37 overs) What are we picking here ...? South Africa to score 320, 330, 340? Anything is possible with de Villiers at the crease. He has 54, while du Plessis has gone to 76. South Africa have played a blinder here. For so long the run rate was languishing in the threes, now it's pushing six.
4.40pm: South Africa 199-3 (36 overs) De Villiers is going crazy out there now. Williamson dropped him early in the Anderson over, but it was a very tough chance. From there AB decided to tee off, hitting a six and two fours in a row. Fifteen runs from the over; de Villiers brings up his 50 off just 33 balls. Southee comes back into the attack.
4.34pm: South Africa 184-3 (35 overs) A run out chance that over. AB de Villiers set off for a quick single, but there was no run in it. Faf du Plessis sent him back, and Kane Williamson had a shy at the stumps. It just misses, but the replays suggest that AB may have just made it home in any event. Powerplay about to start now. This should be interesting, given the mood de Villiers is in.
This is looking ominous. Bowling in the last 15 overs against a team with wickets in hand is an absolute nightmare. #NZvSA
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) March 24, 2015
4.29pm: South Africa 168-3 (34th over) Here's what Herald cricket writer Dylan Cleaver thinks of the action so far:
"Unquestionably South Africa's mini-session. AB de Villiers nearly dragged his first ball on but since then has looked a class above the bowlers. New Zealand are between a rock and a slab of concrete at the moment. They desperately need wickets but still have to winkle seven overs out of a combined fifth bowler. They haven't done a lot wrong, but for the first time this tournament really, the luck has not fallen their way."
4.23pm: South Africa 161-3 (33 overs) AB is starting to dominate. The man is a batting freak. He just seems to be able to find the boundary from the most improbable of positions. And he does it by playing good cricket shots. He took 11 off that Henry over to go to 26 off 23 balls. Feeling nervous, anyone?
This just in from a Herald reporter at the ground:
"There was a lull in the stadium during the middle overs when batsmen Faf du Plessis and Rilee Rossouw slowed things down after a couple of quick Trent Boult wickets.
"We're off to a good start with the two down but they're going steady the Saffas. A wicket would be lovely 'round about now," said Aucklander Kieran Nevey, who was dressed for the occasion in a latex black and white jumpsuit and afro wig.
"Crikey, I hope we get a wicket." That wish was soon answered when Martin Guptill took a sensational diving catch to dismiss Rossouw for 39.
But that only brought the majestic AB de Villiers to the crease, much to the elation of the South Africans in the crowd.
"AB is the man. If he gets going now the game will pretty much be over," said Sandy Langeveldt, of Cape Town. "It's a bit tight but we are confident that we'll come through. We are positive of it, actually."
4.20pm: South Africa 151-3 (32 overs) McCullum brings Vettori back into the attack for his ninth over - presumably he will bowl out the remainder of his spell now. This partnership between de Villiers and du Plessis has raced to 37 in no time at all. Overall run rate is now at 4.71. This is textbook stuff from South Africa.
4.14pm: South Africa 140-3 (31 overs) Matt Henry back into the attack. McCullum is shuffling his bowlers around here, trying to pick up another wicket. Meanwhile, du Plessis brings up his 50 off 85 balls. Two balls later he steps down the track and smashes Henry back over his head for six. Strap in, folks. The onslaught is coming ...
4.10pm: South Africa 125-3 (29 overs) Trent Boult is having another fine day at the office. He's bowled eight overs so far and returned figures of 2-41. Here's a worrying stat for McCullum - AB de Villiers' average against Black Caps on New Zealand soil is 311. He has been dismissed once in six innings.
4.05pm: South Africa 122-3 (28 overs) McCullum brings Boult back into the attack. Good move - the Black Caps know they need to pick up de Villiers ASAP.
4.00pm: South Africa 116-3 (27 overs) Huge moment that. The Black Caps desperately needed a wicket, and it was Golden Arm Anderson who delivered. Now the real show begins. McCullum will not want to give de Villiers any time to get his eye in, because if he does the results could be devastating. To give you an idea of how good he is, de Villiers averages 53.24 in ODI cricket and has a strike rate of 98.83.
3.52pm: South Africa 113-3 (26 overs) Corey "Golden Arm" Anderson into the attack. And guess what ....? WICKET!!!! Anderson picks up Rossouw, caught brilliantly at point by Guptill. Corey, Corey, Corey Anderson ... He just has a way of picking up wickets. It was short and wide-ish, but Rossouw had a flash. And now the best ODI batsman in the world strolls to the crease. Eden Park, meet AB de Villiers.
3.50pm: South Africa 108-2 (25 overs) Ominous signs for the Black Caps. Rossouw just hits the first six of the innings off Elliott. They're building a nice platform here for an explosive finish. It's not enough to contain any more - New Zealand needs a breakthrough.
3.45pm: South Africa 100-2 (25th over) South Africa brings up the 100. Rossouw goes to 28, while du Plessis is on 39. McCullum brings Grant Elliott into the attack. Interesting that he has kept Corey Anderson under wraps so far.
3.40pm: South Africa 87-2 (22 overs) Funny how the momentum can swing in a cricket game. New Zealand has been on top the whole game, but Rossouw and du Plessis have just started to step things up. The run rate has crept up to over four an over, and all of a sudden it seems the balance is tipping back towards them. Big surprise here - McCullum is bringing Kane Williamson into the attack. He's only bowled one over in the World Cup prior to this. What a time to be asked to roll the arm over ...
3.30pm: South Africa 77-2 (20 overs) South Africa's innings is interestingly poised here. They've used up 20 overs already, and have only managed to score at 3.8 per over. New Zealand has bowled very well, but McCullum will have that nagging feeling in the back of his mind. On a ground of this size, a low run rate can become a healthy run rate very quickly.
3.22pm: South Africa 71-2 (18 overs) South Africa's run rate is still hovering around that 3.9 mark. McCullum brings Tim Southee back into the attack. Good move - the Black Caps need a wicket.
3.20pm: South Africa 64-2 (17 overs) Herald cricket expert Dylan Cleaver is at Eden Park taking in the action. Here's what he has to say:
"New Zealand will be pleased, but not overwhelmingly so, with their work so far. Having South Africa 61-2 after 16 is no mean feat, but there might still be an element of what might have been. The ball was swinging early for Trent Boult and Tim Southee and the left-armer obliged with a couple more wickets for his collection. Southee was tidy, but Matt Henry has been excellent and unlucky not to pick up a third South African scalp. NZ are ahead at this stage, just, and the Proteas will probably need to take some risks against Daniel Vettori... unless you're Chris Gayle, that's not easy."
3.13pm: South Africa 61-2 (16 overs) Brilliant start from Vettori - he concedes just three runs and looks to be at his wily, crafty best. South Africa are travelling at just 3.8 per over, but bear in mind they have a weight of batting to come in the likes of AB de Villiers and JP Duminy. Du Plessis (22) and Rossouw (14) are taking a very cautious approach. Matt Henry has made a great start, bowling four over for just seven runs. Check out this piece from our man Andrew Alderson on Henry's Black Caps debut.
3.10pm: South Africa 58-1 (15 overs) Daniel Vettori comes into the attack. This is his 294th ODI.
3.08pm - WEATHER UPDATE: This from NZME. News Service:
It looks like a shower of rain may be about to dampen the first hour of the big cricket game.
WeatherWatch head analyst Philip Duncan has tweeted: "There's an ominous looking shower forming north of Eden Park (north of Albany). One for me to nervously watch. You go back to the cricket."
He also retweeted a cricket fan at Eden Park saying: "Here comes the rain."
3.04pm: South Africa 55-2 (14 overs) Bit of a resurgence from South Africa. Rossouw and du Plessis just took 12 off Trent Boult's last over. New Zealand are still on top but they need to press home the advantage while the ball is still doing a bit. Matt Henry looks very good and has justified his inclusion so far.
2.53pm: South Africa 39-2 (11 overs) Matt Henry is showing no sign of new-boy nerves. He's just bowled a brilliant maiden. McCullum still has four slips and a gully in place.
Q: Less than four an over at the 10 over mark- what are the side thinking in terms of a total to chase.
Jimmy: The lads won't be focused on a total quite yet. With the way the fielding restrictions are these days, any big partnership can turn the game around in a very short space of time. The best batsman in the world is still waiting to come out to bat as well.
As we saw against Australia, any total can be hard to chase with a lot of pressure and the ball swinging.
2.50pm: South Africa 39-2 (10 overs) So at the end of the first 10 overs, New Zealand are on top. They've restricted the Proteas to just 3.90 an over and have taken two big wickets in the process, that of Amla and de Kock. But McCullum won't be getting too far ahead of himself. He knows that with the incredible depth of South Africa's order, he needs to pick up as many wickets as possible while the ball is still swinging.
2.45pm: South Africa 34-2 (10th over) Our reporter Sophie Ryan has been down at Britomart chatting to some of the Black Caps' fans. Here's a slice of what's happening around town:
"Around 300 fans have erupted in to cheers at the Auckland Fanzone in Britomart as Trent Boult took his first wicket in the semifinal. The atmosphere is buoyant with plenty of cheers for Boult's early balls. John Paranihi made the trip into the city on the ferry from his home on Waiheke to watch the semifinal amongst the crowd at the Fanzone. "It's a real buzz," he said.
2.37pm: South Africa 31-2 (8 overs) WICKET! Boult picks up de Kock, caught by Southee on the third man boundary. Boult deserved that - he's had de Kock on the ropes from the get-go. The South African never settled, and the pressure eventually took its toll. He tried to play an expansive shot over cover but the ball wasn't there. It flew off the edge of the bat down to Southee, who took the chance with ease. Rilee Rossouw comes to the crease, and immediately McCullum goes for the jugular, putting a fourth man into the slip cordon.
Image 1 of 8: Supporters at the fanzone in Auckland's Britomart. Photo / Sophie Ryan
2.34pm: South Africa 29-1 (7 overs) The Black Caps have pegged South Africa back here. Both de Kock and du Plessis look very uncertain. McCullum will want to make something of the situation before they have a chance to settle in. He's set an extremely attacking field with three slips and a gully.
Trent Boult gets the wicket of South Africa opener Hashim Amla. Photo / Brett Phibbs
2.30pm: South Africa 27-1 (6 overs) Boult continues to look threatening. By picking up Amla, Boult took his World Cup wicket tally to 20. That puts him equal with Geoff Allott for the most wickets by a New Zealander at a World Cup. Matt Henry shouldn't be too far away - here's what our guest commentator Jimmy Neesham has to say about him.
Q: How will Matt Henry handle the occasion?
Jimmy: Henners will be all over it. He's a very calm individual and takes everything in his stride. His international stats are very impressive so faro so I'm sure he'll continue to be a major threat. Having said that I feel very sorry for Adam Milne. He's contributed so much to this campaign and unfortunately isn't able to see it though.
2.16pm: South Africa 25-1 (4 overs) WICKET! Boult bowls Amla. What a huge blow! Brilliant stuff from Boult. His first over was superb, and his second one is going the same way. He pitched is right up to Amla, who got caught on the crease and ended up chopping the ball onto his stumps. Faf du Plessis comes to the crease to join de Kock. That wicket was just reward for Boult after he had de Kock dropped in the previous over.
2.11pm: South Africa 20-0 (3 overs) Another missed chance! Southee bowls a brilliant short ball to Amla, who hooks uncertainly. The ball flies up high to the fine leg boundary, but Trent Boult can't quite get a hand on it. Amla rebounds quickly, though, and puts Southee to the fence off the last two balls of the other. NZ needs to take one of these chances.
Boulty's just bowled the best 10 run over of all time.
2.08pm: South Africa 10-0 (2 overs) Nervous start from Trent Boult. He ran in for his first delivery but the ball slipped out of his hand in his delivery stride. When he tried again he bowled an absolute peach to de Kock - fast, swinging away, had him nibbling. A few balls later Boult repeated the dose, caught the edge, but Ronchi spilled the catch. Big miss for the Black Caps. Will they come to regret that?
2.05pm: South Africa 0-0 (1 overs) Good first over from Southee - a maiden. He pitched the ball up to Amla and got some nice shape in the air. Amla looked a touch edgy, but he's a class act and is unlikely to lose his head any time soon. The Black Caps are going to have to earn their wickets today.
2.00pm: South Africa 0-0 We're moments away. Tim Southee is at the top of his mark with the ball. South Africa's openers Hashim Amla and Quenton de Kock are out in the middle. The 40,000-strong crowd are in fine voice. Game on!
1.45pm: D-day minus 15 minutes Big talking points from the toss are (1) Vernon Philander in for Kyle Abbott, and (2) Matt Henry's inclusion ahead of Mitch McClenaghan and Kyle Mills.
Here's the toss report from our man at the ground, Andrew Alderson.
South African captain AB de Villiers has won the toss and decided to bat in the World Cup semi-final against New Zealand in Auckland.
New Zealand have brought Matt Henry into their XI after the injury to Adam Milne. Henry joined the squad on Sunday.
The fact he has been playing Plunket Shield in recent weeks is understood to have given him an edge over the net-bound Kyle Mills and Mitchell McClenaghan.
Henry has taken 20 first-class wickets at 28.55 in six matches for Canterbury since missing the World Cup squad in January.
The 23-year-old looks set to enter the tournament on the back of a record which includes 21 ODI wickets at 15.42 and an economy rate of 4.93. He takes a wicket every 19 balls.
The hosts have won seven consecutive matches at the tournament and nine in a row.
South Africa have replaced Kyle Abbott with Vern Philander in one change to the side which defeated Sri Lanka. Philander has taken four wickets at an average of 16.25 in two bowling innings against New Zealand at Mt Maunganui in October.
The forecast is for a fine day with the chance of the odd afternoon or evening shower and a high of 23. North-easterly winds are expected.
New Zealand: Brendon McCullum (c), Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Grant Elliott, Corey Anderson, Luke Ronchi, Daniel Vettori, Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Trent Boult.
South Africa: AB de Villiers (c), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, J-P Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Vern Philander, Rilee Rossouw, Dale Steyn.
1.40pm: D-day minus 20 minutes Weather update NZME. News Service (in short, don't panic).
"A warning has been issued for a shower over Eden Park in the next hour. One News weatherman Daniel Corbett has tweeted: "Raincoats to the ready! A few showers on the North Shore could drift down to Eden Park in next 30-60 minutes." He posted a link to the MetService Auckland rain radar, which showed some light showers around the North Shore moving south towards the city. The rain from early this morning has cleared across most of Auckland. MetService's Auckland meteorologist Georgina Griffiths said the message of "don't panic" was appropriate today for the weather at the semifinal between the Black Caps and South Africa's Proteas. Earlier this morning, between 6mm and 7mm of rain fell at Eden Park about 6.30am, but Ms Griffiths said it wouldn't ruin the game. "The worst is through, and it's an improving afternoon," she said."
1.35pm: D-day minus 25 minutes South Africa have won the toss and will bat first. Interesting choice from AB. McCullum confirms Matt Henry will play.
New Zealand BB McCullum*, MJ Guptill, KS Williamson, LRPL Taylor, GD Elliott, CJ Anderson, L Ronchi†, DL Vettori, MJ Henry, TG Southee, TA Boult
South Africa HM Amla, Q de Kock†, F du Plessis, AB de Villiers*, RR Rossouw, DA Miller, JP Duminy, VD Philander, DW Steyn, M Morkel, Imran Tahir
1.25pm: D-day minus 35 minutes We're not too far away from the toss. The consensus among the Herald's cricket experts is that the Black Caps should bowl first, but that would depend on McCullum winning the toss which has proved difficult for him of late.
The Black Caps' winning roll at the World Cup has got everybody talking cricket. Check out this piece from the Herald on Sunday on well-known New Zealanders talking about their first bats - Batty about a blade
1.10pm: D-day minus 50 minutes Let's ditch the preamble tag and get into it. We're a mere 50 minutes a way from the Black Caps' date with destiny. Auckland city is fizzing at the moment. There's a genuine sense of expectation around, and the streets are full with people in Black Caps replica shirts, retro beige shirts and orange Tui tees. But let's get down to brass tacks with some detail: (1) the weather is looking good, and (2) it looks like Matt Henry is going to play. Stay tuned for more ...
Matt Henry has marked his run-up at Eden Park, a strong indication he'll replace Adam Milne. #NZvSA#CWC15#cricketfever ^BV
The Herald's crack team - Dylan Cleaver, David Leggat and Andrew Alderson - are also ready to answer the all important three questions:
1. If you win the toss, what do you do? 2. What is a defendable target on this ground? 3. No splinters in the bottom here, who wins and why?
Here is Leggat on that last question: New Zealand will win, but no by much. They are on a fabulous roll, just about every move has worked and despite the high quality of the opposition, I believe that roll will continue today.
While you are waiting for the main event, why not revisit the Herald's incredibly detailed cricket interactive, Who is the best one day cricketer?
How does it work? The interactive measures the strike rates and averages of every batsman, and the economy rates and averages of every bowler, and is a detailed illustration of how cricket has changed, particularly since the advent of T20 cricket.
The interactive is fiendishly simple and loaded with information. On the batting graphic, we have the player's average on the horizontal axis, and strike rate on the vertical. On the bowling chart, the average is horizontal, the amount of balls bowled on the vertical, while there is a separate section for economy rates.
The dots are colour-coded by country, or you can click on the menu bar on the right to isolate a single country. In the search bar, you can isolate players by birthplace.
We have put two qualifiers in place. For batting, you must have played at least 20 ODIs; for bowling you must have delivered at least 1200 balls (200 overs).
If you isolate, for example, New Zealand's batting statistics from the overall group, you should immediately notice two "outliers" on the vertical axis. Hover over the dots and you will see they belong to current Black Caps Luke Ronchi and Corey Anderson. Both are striking at more than 120 runs per 100 balls and have maintained averages in excess of 35.
That places them in esteemed company on a global scale, with only West Indian Andre Russell able to match their strike rates, while still falling well short of their averages.
So are they among the greatest ever? Well no, obviously. With just 70 ODIs between them, the sample size is too small to place them on the shelf with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting and Hashim Amla, but if by some miracle they are still playing some years from now and their stats have not waned, then yes, they will be in the conversation.
But, roughly speaking, if you divide the graphic into four equal quadrants, the winner has to come from the top right category. This where you find your Tendulkars, Virat Kohlis, Pontings and Brian Laras. It is also where you find AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla, perhaps the best top-order duo at this World Cup.
I was involved in an unsavoury incident at the last World Cup in India in 2011 and it's something I deeply regret. I wasn't even playing in the quarter-final against South Africa but I got involved in an altercation with Faf du Plessis after running on to the field with drinks.
Words were exchanged, Faf ended up shoving me out of the way and I was heavily fined by the ICC for bringing the game into disrepute. I wasn't in a great mental space, as I was injured again at a World Cup and was returning home the next day, but I acted like a spoiled child and felt I had let down my teammates, country and family.
It was embarrassing, but I learned a great deal from it. I'm not thatsort of guy, and I decided it was something I wouldn't get involved in again. Things happen in the heat of the moment - it's sport. In rugby or league a punch might be thrown, but it's the individual or team who remains calm who invariably comes out on top.
The Herald sports team have asked if the South African "choke" term is justified? They have served up five of the best or, if you're a South African, the worst capitulations in their history. Read the full story here.
10.57am: The Preamble
Eden Park is looking a bit soggy:
10.50am: The Preamble
Fikile Mbalula, South Africa's Minister of Sport, has been fervently tweeting support for his side. As you can see, he really really really doesn't want The Proteas to lose:
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key posted his (more subdued) message of support:
The rain will ease throughout the morning and clear in the afternoon but there is still a chance of a "sprinkling" at 2pm. "I'd still take a coat if I was heading to Eden Park," she says.
What hould be making fans of both colours nervous is the fact that New Zealand and South Africa have between them played in nine World Cup semi-finals - and won eactly none.
Both teams will be carrying the heavy expectations of their countries on their shoulders when they walk out at Eden Park. Both teams have had the choker taunt thrown at them.
The captains are clear in their mission. When Brendon McCullum was tossed a question about failure yesterday, he said: "Both will be trying to win the key moments, not lose them."
AB de Villiers similarly bridled when faced with the same line of questioning. "I believe if we play our best cricket, no one is going to stop us in this tournament."
When two teams are as even as South Africa and New Zealand in the lottery of one-day cricket, there's a huge margin for error in predictions.
The following is certain. One of the most eagerly anticipated sporting extravaganzas in New Zealand history is in store and the atmosphere at Eden Park will be amazing.
Whereas New Zealand's rugby obsession is so intense it can scare the vocal chords into near silence on such occasions, our cricket crowds know how to enjoy, and maybe even influence, a game.
There's not much to pick between them. McCullum said there was not much to pick between New Zealand, South Africa and Australia, but omitted India, which means either he is as rubbery with numbers as de Villiers, or provocative, or tactless, or - the most likely explanation - he is nervous.
Why would he not be? Why would de Villiers not be? Upon embarkation, the South Africans were told by their sports minister not to come home without the World Cup. The mute message in the ever-growing clamour of the Kiwi crowds is, don't leave home unless you intend to return with the World Cup. If ever there was one, this is a zero-sum game.
New Zealand's weakness is their ability to play top-end pace. Australia exposed it and South Africa will look to as well.
As for the toss, New Zealand will be better served to bowl because of the swing factor.
They chose to bat in the quarterfinal against the West Indies, which was an interesting departure from what they had been doing previously, but the Windies were inferior opponents.
New Zealand have the better balanced team, certainly with no weak bowling link. But in spite of their run of success - unbeaten in their last 10 matches if a warm-up against South Africa is to be counted - and the manner in which the batting played to a near-perfect template against West Indies, they look short of one top batsman should the innings be under siege early on, with Grant Elliott coming in at five. But then against Sri Lanka in Dunedin last month, he made an unbeaten 104 and Luke Ronchi 170 not out, adding a world record unbroken 267 for the sixth wicket after New Zealand had been reduced to 93 for five.
The reality is that the match is too close to call. Both sides have brilliant cricketers and are playing compelling cricket but there are unwanted tags to shed: New Zealand of having made six previous semi-finals without getting to a single final; South Africa of blowing big games. The win over Sri Lanka was their first ever in a World Cup knockout. Perhaps in the end it will not be the players who make the difference but the crowd. Earlier in the week Sir Richard Hadlee spoke eloquently about the difference it made to him having a chant going behind him, the extra yard of pace, ounce of effort, and New Zealand could benefit from that now. Dream Big New Zealand, is McCullum's mantra. This might just be their time.
Rob Houwing, chief sports writer at South Africa's Sport24.co.za, says South Africa must avoid the 2007 trap, when they were caught napping by Australia and ended up "on the long haul home, ridiculed yet again after a particularly inglorious exit from a major tournament".
One-day international cricket has become even more cavalier, more daring, more searing-paced now than it was eight years ago, and trying to tell men like De Villiers, or David Miller, or Brendon McCullum, or Martin Guptill - and this at a venue with invitingly small straight boundaries -- that they need to slow down is a bit like asking the family dog, having bolted from the kitchen with a raw piece of fillet steak to a deep corner of the garden, to bring it back in an orderly manner.
This could be an enthrallingly helter-skelter semi, but as much as a traditionally extrovert performer or two from either team could have a decisive say in the outcome, don't rule out the possibility that a more temperate moment of inspiration - perhaps from an unlikely, less heralded source in the ranks -- instead somehow tilts the balance.
But he also has a kick at the Black Caps:
That said, it is not as though New Zealand have ripped through this tournament entirely in a blur of faultless ruthlessness and mental strength.
Ironically, they were so nearly victims of one of the most hapless chokes of all time at the very Eden Park, in CWC pool activity against the Aussies less than a month ago.
