Nailbiting night for Bay cricket fans

Dan Vettori and Grant Elliott celebrate the ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final match between New Zealand and South Africa at Eden Park, Auckland.

Former Black Cap Chris Pringle paced around his Tauranga home last night as each ball seemed to swing the favour from New Zealand to South Africa and back again.

He watched the game from about six different spots in his lounge as the tension kept him moving, until he could finally celebrate as Grant Elliott hit the six to secure New Zealand's spot in the Cricket World Cup final on Sunday.

"I had to apologise to my neighbours this morning because my family were up high-fiving outside late last night," he laughed.

The game looked to be going either way near the end, he said.

"I probably had 20 or 30 moments in the last overs where I really didn't know which way it would go."

The final ball that secured the win was once-in-a-lifetime watching, he said.

"Elliot just summed it up like Kane did in the Australia game and just thought I'm gonna hit this out of the park."

The nerve-wreaking end made for one of the best cricket games to watch, he said.

"You can't pay for that kind of entertainment.

"That is once in a decade, once in a lifetime stuff... I didn't miss a ball. I watched the whole thing."

Mr Pringle was feeling confident for the team going into the final on Sunday, with the plan to watch, dressed in his Black Caps gear, at home.

"I have this feeling of invincibility or unstoppableness, the way they've been playing."

Mount Mellick co-owner Carl Willetts said the pub was buzzing with the game on the two big screens last night.

Their weekly 'jam night' got put on hold as the game captured everyone's attention.

"All the musicians, everyone in the pub was fixated on the cricket."

"There were a few tounges getting bitten at one stage but it all ended well.

"That last ball the whole pub erupted into cheering," he said.

He was looking forward to another exciting day on Sunday for the final.