New Zealand v South Africa: Highlights, Scorecard, Recap from Cricket World Cup

There will be a host nation in the final of the 2015 Cricket World Cup after New Zealand overcame South Africa in thrilling fashion by four wickets with one ball remaining in Auckland.

Rain, so often the scourge of South Africa at World Cups, had a say as their batting charge was interrupted and they had to settle for 281 for 5—adjusted to a target of 298.

Brendon McCullum tore into the South Africa bowlers and it laid a platform for his middle order to see them over the line—with Grant Elliott the hero with an unbeaten 84.

Hannah Peters/Getty Images

New Zealand were hugely impressive up front with the ball, with Trent Boult being rewarded with the wickets of Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock.

Boult and Tim Southee were making the ball hoop around at good pace, which piled pressure on the South Africa top order.

Faf du Plessis and Rilee Rossouw dug in and absorbed the pressure, although the run rate did drop markedly.

While the run rate dropped, Du Plessis and Rossouw steadied the ship and it laid a foundation.

It was a foundation that the indefectible AB de Villiers launched from. The South Africa skipper has been sensational during the tournament and he took the attack to New Zealand.

He went through the gears during the batting powerplay and looked set to launch his side to a huge score, but the rain took the players from the Eden Park field.

Phil Walter/Getty Images

It was a lengthy rain delay that resulted in seven overs being taken off the South Africa innings.

It also checked South Africa’s momentum, and Du Plessis fell to the second ball after the restart, gloving a ball down the leg-side off Corey Anderson to Luke Ronchi.

The delay, followed by Du Plessis’, wicket could have been a momentum checker, and South Africa have a history of being undone by rain at World Cups, but David Miller provided major momentum.

"

David Miller (49 off 18) : 2 1 4 4 0 4 4 1 4 1 6 6 1 4 1 0 6 W #CWC15 #NZvSA pic.twitter.com/uXPZyhTMRm

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) March 24, 2015"

The big-hitting left hander tore into Southee and Corey Anderson, and his 18-ball 49 took South Africa to 281 for 5 from their 43 overs.—which resulted in a revised Duckworth-Lewis target of 298.

Batsman	How Out	Runs	Minutes	Balls
HM Amla	b Boult	10	15	14
Q de Kock†	c Southee b Boult	14	36	17
F du Plessis	c †Ronchi b Anderson	82	155	107
RR Rossouw	c Guptill b Anderson	39	77	53
AB de Villiers*	not out	65	84	45
DA Miller	c †Ronchi b Anderson	49	23	18
JP Duminy	not out	8	4	4
Extras	(b 1, w 13)	14
Total	(5 wickets; 43 overs; 196 mins)	281
Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
TG Southee	9	1	55	0
TA Boult	9	0	53	2
MJ Henry	8	2	40	0
DL Vettori	9	0	46	0
KS Williamson	1	0	5	0
GD Elliott	1	0	9	0
CJ Anderson	6	0	72	3

McCullum was aggressive with his field settings, he had five slips in place at one stage, and he adopted a similar approach with the bat.

Small boundaries and fielding restrictions are manna from heaven for the New Zealand skipper and he spared no bowler.

Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel were flayed around the ground as McCullum raced to his half-century.

"

McCullum's first six was a classic. (via @fifawc4) http://t.co/cAX1KNXSmC

— FirstpostSports (@FirstpostSports) March 24, 2015"

Morkel was taken for 14 in his first over, but he switched ends and roared back to take the prize scalp of McCullum who did not make true contact and picked out Steyn at mid-on.

The South African celebrations told exactly how big a wicket McCullum was.

Ross Setford/Associated Press

One became two, as Kane Williamson—so often the glue that binds the New Zealand innings—was unfortunate to pull a short ball from Morkel into his off stump.

South Africa have four gun bowlers, the fifth is the perceived weak link. McCullum’s brutal assault at the top of the innings placed New Zealand in a strong position to bat sensibly against Steyn, Philander, Morkel and Imran Tahir, and target the fifth bowler.

JP Duminy, the fifth bowler, had not read the script as he struck a huge blow when removing Ross Taylor. It was a weak dismissal, with Taylor feathering a ball behind to De Kock who took an excellent catch down the leg-side.

The tension grew as the New Zealand innings went past the 30-over mark, and it got to South Africa skipper De Villiers who missed the chance to run out Anderson as he failed to collect a throw with the batsman a long way short of his ground.

It proved a costly error as the partnership between Anderson and Elliott flourished.

Hannah Peters/Getty Images

But there was still drama, the sort of drama the tournament had been crying out for.

Anderson top edged a short ball off Morkel to Du Plessis and Luke Ronchi came and went far too quickly for New Zealand's liking.

South Africa missed two further run-out chances, while Duminy got in Farhaan Behardien’s way when he looked set to pouch Elliott.

The final over left New Zealand with 12 required to win. Steyn was the bowler.

Elliott found an ally in Daniel Vettori who squirted a ball to third man for four and it left the path clear for Elliott to club the penultimate ball over midwicket for six to secure a final spot.

There were tears of joy in the New Zealand camp; tears of despair in the South Africa contingent. The Proteas will reflect on not only the rain but also the host of chances they passed up in the field.

Batsman	How Out	Runs	Minutes	Balls
MJ Guptill	run out (Amla/†de Kock)	34	80	38
BB McCullum*	c Steyn b Morkel	59	32	26
KS Williamson	b Morkel	6	12	11
LRPL Taylor	c †de Kock b Duminy	30	57	39
GD Elliott	not out	84	132	73
CJ Anderson	c du Plessis b Morkel	58	80	57
L Ronchi†	c Rossouw b Steyn	8	13	7
DL Vettori	not out	7	19	6
Extras	(b 6, lb 2, w 5)	13
Total	(6 wickets; 42.5 overs; 212 mins)	299
Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
DW Steyn	8.5	0	76	1
D Philander	8	0	52	0
M Morkel	9	0	59	3
Imran Tahir	9	1	40	0
JP Duminy	5	0	43	1
AB de Villiers	3	0	21	0