Cricket: We don't care who it is, bring them on say Kiwis

NAIROBI - New Zealand are happy to sit back and wait without nominating their preferred opponents for the final of the ICC Knockout Trophy cricket tournament.

New Zealand gave themselves a shot at winning the limited-overs tournament by beating Pakistan by four wickets in Nairobi yesterday to book a place in Sunday's final, which offers a payout of $US250,000 ($624,376) for the winners.

They will play either India or South Africa, who contest the second semifinal tonight.

After New Zealand restricted Pakistan to 252 in their semifinal innings, Craig McMillan's and Scott Styris' unbroken stand of 68 finished the job for the New Zealanders with six balls remaining.

The win broke New Zealand's duck in recent world tournaments, where they lost in both the 1992 and 1999 World Cup semifinals to Pakistan.

Captain Stephen Fleming and the in-form McMillan both dodged any thoughts on preferred opponents, and whether it would be an advantage to meet South Africa just days out from their tour of that country.

But McMillan, who scored his third consecutive half-century - 51 not out off 56 balls - said the team would back themselves against either opponents.

"Both are very good one-day sides and they have outstanding players. We've played both and done well against both," McMillan said.

"I guess we've got the luxury that we can sit back and relax and watch them fight it out."

New Zealand used last year's nine-wicket loss to Pakistan during the World Cup in England as motivation entering yesterday's match.

The team targeted making the final in Nairobi and McMillan admitted there was now a different feeling.

"We've been in a few semifinals before and haven't got through, so we're in new territory now," he said. "We've certainly got nothing to be afraid of and we are looking forward to Sunday."

McMillan and Styris, who scored 28 off 31 balls to go with a tidy 10-over bowling spell, were not the only stars in a top New Zealand performance.

Left-armer Shayne O'Connor grabbed man-of-the-match honours for his five for 46 off 9.2 overs. All the wickets came from smart catches, one of them a decidedly useful caught and bowled.

Pushing him hard for the award was New Zealand's man of the moment, Roger Twose, who passed 50 for the fifth successive time when scoring 87 off 101 balls.

It left him with 19 half-centuries and no centuries from 68 one-day internationals, but he was again happy to cash that in for a team win.

He and Nathan Astle added 135 for the third wicket after New Zealand were 15 for two. It was a third-wicket record against Pakistan.

Astle had earlier helped Styris and Chris Harris to apply the brakes to a flying Pakistan start which saw opener Saeed Anwar on the way to 104, his 19th one-day century.

From 111 for one, Pakistan were reduced to 178 for six, before some late bursts from Wasim Akram and Abdur Razzaq.

Pakistan captain and wicketkeeper Moin Khan blamed a mid-order batting slump and an average performance from his five bowlers for their loss.

"It was New Zealand's day, they played better cricket," he said.

"I wasn't surprised by New Zealand's performance. Everyone was saying it would be an easy game but I didn't believe it.

"They have a good side and they can beat anyone.

"They beat us today and I think we are one of the better sides in this tournament."

For Fleming, it was a captaincy triumph tinged with disappointment on a personal note.

After consecutive straight drives for four off Azhar Mahmood, Fleming edged a straight ball to first slip to be dismissed for 10 and another batting failure.

He said there was a need for New Zealand to overcome some self doubt before the game.

"We're under-strength, and losing Chris Cairns the day before wasn't a good situation," Fleming said.

"We're all about trying to gain self belief.

"You can talk about it all you want, but it's not until you consistently do it that you know what's happening."

Pakistan had won all three of the recent encounters between the two countries, but New Zealand were aware of their tendency to run hot and cold.

- NZPA