NZ win thriller to reach final

New Zealand beat South Africa with a six off the penultimate ball to reach the World Cup final for the first time.
With five needed from two balls, Grant Elliott hit Dale Steyn into the stands to finish unbeaten on 84 and seal a four-wicket win in Auckland.
Elliott and Corey Anderson’s 58 had lifted the Black Caps from 149-4 in their chase of a rain-adjusted 298.
South Africa had earlier posted 281-5, with Faf du Plessis making 82, in a match reduced to 43 overs per side.
Captain AB de Villiers weighed in with an unbeaten 65 for South Africa and David Miller an 18-ball 49 in a target that was escalated by Duckworth-Lewis, but just within New Zealand’s reach.
It was a fourth unsuccessful World Cup semi-final for the Proteas to add to two defeats and the famous 1999 tie with Australia.
For New Zealand, a seventh last-four tie finally yielded a place in the final after six previous losses.
It was earned in a thrilling, fluctuating contest played out in front of a raucous and partisan crowd at Eden Park.
In scarcely believable drama that had echoes of Kane Williamson’s six to defeat Australia by one-wicket earlier in the tournament, South Africa-born Elliott smashed Steyn for six over long-on two balls after Daniel Vettori steered a four to the third-man boundary.
Elliott should have been caught from the final ball of the previous over, but his top-edged hook fell to the ground after a boundary collision by JP Duminy and sub fielder Farhaan Behardien.
That South Africa came so close was down to their third comeback of a game that both teams controlled at various points.
The Black Caps were in the early ascendancy thanks to some dangerous swing bowling and electric fielding that reduced South Africa to 114-3 in the 27th over.
Later, they looked to be sprinting through the run-chase when captain Brendon McCullum destroyed the South Africa attack with a 22-ball half-century that included taking 24 runs from a single Steyn over.
South Africa, though, resisted, just as they had earlier through Du Plessis’ patience, De Villiers’ invention and Miller’s explosive power.