New Zealand vs. South Africa: Winners and Losers from World Cup Semi-Final

New Zealand's Grant Elliott smashed a six off the second-to-last ball of the game to propel his side to a semi-final victory over South Africa at Eden Park on Tuesday in what was one of the most dramatic matches in Cricket World Cup history. 

Needing five to win, or four to tie (a tie would have sent New Zealand through to the final), with two balls remaining, Elliott, who had steered his team with a masterful innings, clubbed Dale Steyn into the stands over mid-on to claim a historic victory and send the Black Caps into their first-ever World Cup final. 

It was a remarkable conclusion to a remarkable game, one that had been incredibly tight throughout and had swung back and forth in each side's favour countless times throughout the day. 

But it was Elliott who landed the decisive blow, ensuring New Zealand successfully chased down their target of 298 set by South Africa in a game reduced to 43 overs per side because of rain. 

Across the following slides, we examine the winners and losers from Tuesday's unforgettable clash. 

Winner: Grant Elliott

Phil Walter/Getty Images

The six-hitter. The match-winner. The hero. The toast of New Zealand. 

On Tuesday, Grant Elliott wrote himself into cricket folklore, capping off a magnificent innings of 84 not out against South Africa with a blow that will forever be among the most iconic in the game's history. 

Does it get any better?

Winner: Brendon McCullum

Phil Walter/Getty Images

According to a poll of 25,000 people across 23 countries from YouGov, Bill Gates and Angelina Jolie are the two most admired people in the world. 

But by the time this Cricket World Cup is finished, Brendon McCullum might have surpassed them. 

With his aggressive, "just-follow-me-boys" approach in this tournament, the Kiwi skipper has put an entire nation on his back and propelled cricket in New Zealand into a stratosphere it's never previously touched. 

On Tuesday, he was at it again, fearlessly thumping 59 from 26 balls, once more showing his team-mates and his country that it can be done, as long as they follow his lead.

Winners: AB de Villiers and South Africa

David Rowland/Associated Press

When AB de Villiers was interviewed on-field in the immediate aftermath of defeat, he made a remark that will be treasured both in South Africa and around the world. 

"We play to make a difference in our country back home," the Proteas' skipper said of his team's effort, clearly struggling to hold back his emotions. 

Of course, the scoreboard says South Africa lost. But they didn't. Not in a broader sense. 

South Africa won. They came into the World Cup as the "chokers," the side that crumbled when it mattered. They carried a burden that no other outfit in the world could have comprehended. 

And they left having contested one of, if not the, greatest World Cup game ever seen. It was decided by the tiniest of margins and will be reflected upon again and again. 

South Africa will forever be as much a part of that as Grant Elliott and New Zealand.

By any definition, that's winning. 

Winner: Sportsmanship

Hannah Peters/Getty Images

The picture above says it all. 

Winner: Cricket

Ross Setford/Associated Press

So often, our discussions about cricket—and about sport in general—focus on the negatives. On what has to improve, glaring issues that need to be addressed and controversies. 

The focus is often on things that can make you lose sight of what the game is about. 

As such, Tuesday was a reminder of cricket's core attraction: its soul. What it is, and what it should always be was on display. 

It was theatre to be cherished. 

Losers: Absolutely None

Phil Walter/Getty Images

Those with hearts of steel, the emotional rocks among us, might point out that there were a number of players who committed costly mistakes at Eden Park on Tuesday. 

Kane Williamson dropped AB de Villiers. Dale Steyn was torched by Brendon McCullum. De Villiers and Quinton de Kock missed run-out opportunities. JP Duminy and Farhaan Behardien collided to drop Grant Elliott. Vernon Philander probably shouldn't have been selected. 

But criticising such moments and decisions completely misses the point. 

Tuesday was about the spectacle, the drama, the theatre and the essence of cricket and sport on display. 

There are no losers in that.