New Zealand prevail in ICC KnockOut semi-final thriller with Pakistan

In a semi-final both teams could have won (and, arguably, should have won) New Zealand prevailed over Pakistan to earn themselves a place in the final of the ICC KnockOut tournament on Sunday. They will play the winners of the second semi-final between South Africa and India on Friday.

For most, including, one suspects, the Pakistanis themselves, Pakistan were strong favourites to repeat their resounding nine-wicket victory in last year's World Cup semi-final. New Zealand knew this - captain Stephen Fleming confirmed that his team had used this to build themselves up - and when it came down to the wire, it seemed the Kiwis wanted to win just a little more fiercely.

Certainly, they kept their nerve better, none more so than Craig McMillan and Scott Styris who yanked the innings back on course after it had threatened to wander off into the distance at 187 for six and two wickets had fallen to successive deliveries.

McMillan and Styris won the match with an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership that yielded 68. It was not, perhaps, entirely composed batting, but it was brave batting against perhaps the most naturally gifted team in world cricket.

The foundations of victory, however, had been laid by Roger Twose and Nathan Astle in a wonderful 135-run stand for the third wicket. Twose was the aggressor as he made 87 - his fifth 50 in a row, but the century continues to elude him; a fact that might now be preying on his mind every time he gets a start - while Astle played backup.

It was a productive combination and one, perhaps, that forced Pakistan captain Moin Khan's hand as he juggled his five-man attack.

"We knew they were going to have problems from 15 overs out," said Fleming and Pakistan were left having to pair Arshad Khan and Wasim Akram. Everyone else had been bowled out, but Moin must have wished for a couple more overs from Abdur Razzaq or Saqlain Mushtaq. Or even, for that matter, Waqar Younis for whom this tournament has proved nothing more than a sightseeing jaunt.

Whatever the case, Pakistan had also left themselves, as Moin confirmed, 20 or 30 runs short after the blistering start given to them by Saeed Anwar. He smashed Geoff Allott out of the attack as he set up his 19th one-day century, but the middle order fell apart in the middle overs with Inzamam-ul-Haq, Ijaz Ahmed and Moin contributing just six between them.

Razzaq hit 48 and Wasim 34 to pick things up again, but 252 was simply not enough, especially after the side had been 100 for one after 20 overs.

Of course, New Zealand's bowlers had something to do with this. Astle, Chris Harris and Styris all played their part in slowing Pakistan down and at the death Shayne O'Connor completed the five-wicket haul that earned him the man-of-the-match award.

His last three victims all fell to full tosses, but, as he noted, it's better to bowl too full than too short.

Perhaps Pakistan were complacent, perhaps they didn't pay New Zealand their due regard. These are not the sort of things that losing teams admit to in the immediate wake of defeat.

New Zealand, however, want to be seen as one of the world's top one-day sides. On Sunday they have the opportunity to claim that title.