AUCKLAND — The calm, assured manner in which New Zealand chased down South Africa's imposing total Tuesday to advance to its first cricket World Cup final is a hallmark of a team that has developed into a cohesive unit over the last two years. “I looked around the group and saw that everyone was pretty calm,” skipper Brendon McCullum told reporters Wednesday of how his team dealt with the intense pressure of the match situation. “I was pretty calm for most of it but toward the end I started hoping ... the boys would be able to pull it off. “I had immense faith in them.” Faith is exactly what coach Mike Hesson had in Elliot, whose innings of 84 not out justified his inclusion in the World Cup squad after somewhat surprisingly having been out of the team for 14 months. The 36-year-old was also a reassuring voice for powerful youngster Corey Anderson as they put on 103 runs for the fifth wicket, which ultimately gave New Zealand the win. The partnership highlighted the strength of New Zealand's batting lineup, with a top order of McCullum, Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson offering contrasting approaches to run scoring. Guptill is technically proficient but can also blast away when needed, as was evident in his World Cup record 237 not out against West Indies in the quarterfinal. Williamson is the classic accumulator while McCullum's swaggering aggression puts opposing attacks off their rhythm and gives New Zealand a flying start. The players from four to seven — Ross Taylor, Elliott, Anderson and wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi — are a highly competent engine room designed to take the team through to imposing totals or to chase down targets. All have contributed to helping their side to victory over New Zealand's domestic summer. Opening bowlers Trent Boult and Tim Southee are arguably the best new-ball pair at the tournament, with Boult the leading wicket taker with 21, while Southee has the best figures of 7-33. “We have been confident all along in terms of what we do,” Hesson said. “We know the brand of cricket we want to play, we are pretty confident that is a good style for us. “We have got a chance to put on a good show Sunday and we will prepare for that.” Hesson said there had been an “ebb and flow” of emotion throughout Tuesday's game; optimism at times, hope at others, desperation an finally a mixture of joy and relief Grant Elliott hit the penultimate ball for six to win the match. “There were obviously a lot of emotions throughout,” Hesson said. “I never thought we would get over the line until we saw the ball disappearing. “I don't even know where it landed. I just jumped up and carried on. It was a whole heap of emotion, a whole heap of pride in the group. You have got a group of guys that did everything for each other. To put in a performance like that last night, with a crowd like that, it was very special.” McCullum said that even he wasn't fully confident that New Zealand would win as it chased 298 runs in 43 overs of the rain-shortened match. “Toward the end I just started hoping,” he said. “I had immense faith in them but there is still always that unknown. “It took something special for us to get across the line and Grant was the man to do it.” Hesson said he was sitting apart from other members of the Black Caps coaching staff through the tense final overs, but no-one wanted to move lest they jinx the New Zealand run chase. “We were keeping in touch on walkie-talkie,” Hesson said. “When the game gets tight you don't want to get stuck between going up and down stairs, you don't want to miss the action. “There's a lot of superstition in cricket and you don't want to leave, especially at times like that. When it happened we just jumped up and hugged everyone in sight and yelled.” — Agencies
