Kiwis beat South Africa by 4 wickets

(Reuters) – New Zealand has beat South Africa by four wickets to take the Cricket World Cup final.

Latest from the cricket World Cup first semi-final between New Zealand and South Africa at Eden Park in Auckland on Tuesday.

South Africa won the toss and chose to bat.

South Africa scored 281-5 in 43 overs.

New Zealand need 298 in 43 overs to win under the Duckworth/Lewis system.

New Zealand innings

1st over – Dale Steyn bowls a hostile first over though Brendon McCullum still deposits him over wide long-off for a six. 8-0

2nd over – Vernon Philander bowls a bouncer that goes for four byes before McCullum hits a six and two fours. 26-0

4th over – Morne Morkel replaces Philander and is hit for two boundaries by McCullum and another by Martin Guptill, who brings up 500 runs in the tournament. 46-0

5th over – McCullum hits Steyn into the second tier of the southern stand to bring up the 50-run partnership, then a four and another six at fine leg to bring up his 50 in 22 balls before he hits two more boundaries. 71-0

7th over – McCullum's blitzkrieg ends on 59 when he hits the ball from Morkel straight to Steyn at mid-on. 72-1

9th over – Morkel strikes again when Kane Williamson drags a short delivery on to his stumps for six. 81-2

10th over – JP Duminy is introduced with Guptill and Taylor scoring seven runs. 88-2

12th over – Guptill lofts Duminy into the stands over deep mid-wicket to bring up the 100. 104-2

15th over – Philander bowls a tidy over that had Guptill play-and-miss at the first ball and only one run coming from it. 113-2

17th over – Both Guptill and Taylor release some of the scoreboard pressure that had built up by stroking boundaries from Philander. 128-2

18th over – Guptill is run out for 34 after Taylor starts, stops then starts again. 133-3

20th over – Grant Elliott and Taylor play it safe to consolidate the innings with three singles from Tahir. 143-3

22nd over – Taylor is caught by wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock down the leg side off Duminy for 30. 151-4

25th over – Corey Anderson hits a six from the final ball of the Philander over, that had four dot balls. 173-4

29th over – Anderson again hits a six from the final ball of the over, this time from Duminy as tension in the ground ratchets up. 196-4

30th over – Elliott produces a text-book cover drive for three runs to bring up the 50-run partnership. 199-4

32nd over – AB De Villiers bungles an easy run out of Anderson when he breaks the wicket after dropping the ball. 208-4

35th over – Elliot shuffles across his stumps and lifts a Morkel delivery over the square leg boundary before Anderson smashes a four over wide mid-off. 231-4

36th over – Anderson punches through cover for a boundary from Tahir then drives him down the ground for a single to bring up his fourth ODI half-century, before Elliott hits a boundary over cover to bring up his eighth ODI 50. 243-4

37th over – Anderson pulls a short ball from de Villiers to fine leg to bring up the 250 and 100-run partnership. 251-4

38th over – Faf du Plessis takes a steepling catch at square leg from Anderson for 58 after a Morkel delivery got big on the left-hander to end the 103-run partnership. 252-5

40th over – Luke Ronchi hits a four in a tight Tahir over. 269-5

41st over – Ronchi holes out to Rilee Rossouw on the mid-wicket boundary for eight. 275-6

42nd over – Elliott is almost caught twice deep on the leg side but survives. 286-6

43rd over – Vettori hits a four wide of third man before Elliott hits a six over long-on to win the game with one ball to spare. 299-6

South Africa innings

2nd over – A nervous looking Quinton de Kock edges seamer Trent Boult for two boundaries, the second of which was dropped by wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi. 10-0

4th over – Hashim Amla drags a full Boult delivery on and is bowled for 10, becoming the left armer's 20th wicket of the tournament, equalling Geoff Allott's New Zealand record. 25-1

5th over – Paceman Tim Southee concedes just one run as Faf du Plessis looks to settle himself at the crease. 26-1

8th over – After some tight bowling, de Kock charges Boult and gets a top edge to Southee at third man. Boult now passes Allott with his 21st wicket. 31-2

9th over – Matt Henry replaces Southee, with Du Plessis having to dive at the non-striker's end after a tight single, though Grant Elliott's throw is just over the stumps. SA: 34-2

10th over – Du Plessis edges past second slip for a boundary as South Africa end the compulsory power play. 39-2

13th over – Henry bowls his second successive maiden to Du Plessis. 43-2

14th over – Rilee Rossouw punches a full Boult delivery to the long-on boundary to bring up the 50. 55-2

15th over – Henry bowls another tidy over, conceding just three singles. 58-2

19th over – Rossouw gets an inside edge for a boundary from a delivery from Southee, who almost yorks him on the next ball. 76-2

20th over – Spinner Daniel Vettori continues to tie down South Africa's batsmen by conceding just one run. 77-2

21st over – Du Plessis hits Southee down the ground for two boundaries, the first of which brought up the 50-run partnership. 85-2.

25th over – Rossouw tucks Grant Elliott off his legs for a single to bring up South Africa's 100, then hits a flat six down the ground. 108-2

27th over – Corey Anderson proves to be the golden arm having Rossouw caught by Martin Guptill at backward point for 39 from his first delivery. 116-3

30th over – AB de Villiers slams the ball straight back to Vettori prompting the crowd to erupt, though he had hit the delivery into the ground first. 129-3

31st over – Du Plessis scoops a Henry delivery to mid-wicket for two runs to bring up his 15th ODI half-century, then hits a straight six. 140-3

32nd over – Du Plessis edges a boundary from Vettori before De Villiers slams a delivery down the ground to bring up the 150. 151-3

34th over – Du Plessis pulls a short ball from Anderson to the vacant mid-wicket area to bring up the 50-run partnership before de Villiers repeats it on the final delivery. 175-3

35th over – Kane Williamson has opportunity to run out de Villiers at the striker's end but the throw is just wide. 184-3

36th over – De Villiers is dropped by Williamson at short cover then hits a six and successive boundaries to bring up his 46th ODI half-century from 32 balls. 199-3

38th over – Du Plessis hits Boult down the ground for his seventh boundary to bring up the 100-run partnership before a light rain shower sweeps across the ground forcing the players off. 216-3

* 1720 local – The rain has stopped after about 30 minutes though the covers are still on the wicket and no sign of the ground staff preparing to remove them.

* 1751 local – Still no play after more rain just as the ground staff had taken the covers off. Having been off the ground for an hour, South Africa's innings will be reduced.

* 1825 local – The covers are off the ground and the outfield is being prepared. Play to resume at 1845 with the match reduced to 43 overs per side.

39th over – Anderson appeals for a caught behind from du Plessis but umpire Ian Gould signals a wide. New Zealand review and technology shows it hits the batsmen's gloves and he has to go for 82. 222-4

40th over – David Miller hits Southee for four boundaries. 239-4

41st over – Miller continues his assault, hitting Anderson for a boundary and then successive sixes. 258-4

43rd over – Miller hits Anderson over long-on for a six to bring up the 50-run partnership then is caught behind by Ronchi for 49 on the next ball. JP Duminy hits two balls just wide of a despairing Nathan McCullum.