Mark Greatbatch: Eden Park to host players at their peak

Against the West Indies, Kane Williamson was one of the examples of players who played notable helping hands in their own distinctive styles, writes Greatbatch. Photo / Mark Mitchell

What matchup: A surging South African team who dealt to Sri Lanka with disdain and a New Zealand side playing an aggressive style to dominate all their opposition.

Take the mind back to October, when South Africa came out for a short ODI visit and twice gave us a lesson in playing one-day cricket at Mt Maunganui.

They are a force to be reckoned with, but I feel this New Zealand team have grown so much since then, and will fancy their chances.

The atmosphere at a packed Eden Park will be electric and a real pressure cooker.

The team who deal with that aspect better throughout the day will prevail and nail their first World Cup final appearance, against either India or Australia. It is a huge challenge, and with the biggest prize in cricket only two wins away.

Twenty-three years ago, New Zealand went into a tough semifinal duel with Pakistan, also at Eden Park.

At the halfway mark, after we had scored what was back then a very competitive 262, there was a real opportunity our dream would come true.

We all know what happened that day.

New Zealand are now seven from seven, and this side have enormous belief in themselves.

Importantly, they have different players stepping forward with match-winning performances, and others who are pitching in with smaller contributions, all of which play a part in creating a winning formula.

On Saturday against the West Indies, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor and Grant Elliott were examples of players who played notable helping hands in their own distinctive styles.

Trent Boult continued a fine World Cup and is now back on top of the wicket-takers' board with 19 at just 14 runs apiece.

The catching was good - and how Dan Vettori managed to leap like a gazelle to clutch that one-hander at the third man boundary, I'll never know.

When things are going well for you, ride those times. That was one case where, on other days, Vettori might have spilled the awkward one-hander. But everything is rolling New Zealand's way right now.

Which brings me to Martin Guptill's 237 not out, in my opinion the finest ODI innings ever played by a New Zealander, considering the pressures of a World Cup knockout game.

Cricket can be a cruel game at times. Marlon Samuels will be feeling the pain after dropping Guptill on four at square leg in the first over of the match. All those runs which flowed from Guptill's bat after that will have added to the hurt for Samuels.

One man's misery, however, is another's good fortune and Guptill made the most of his letoff to write himself into the history books.

The list of his achievements in that innings is long and can be read elsewhere on this page.

Being in form is one thing, taking advantage of it is another and right from the first ball we saw Guptill moving both his feet so fluently and effortlessly that he completely dominated the bowlers from the first ball of the innings till the last.

His first 100 was a master class and his next 137 came off only 43 balls. Talk about a power super master class.

Personally, I'm so happy for him, his support team and family, because they are lovely, down to earth people.

Throughout his career Martin has had demons, with a lack of confidence in himself as a player.

Set aside what this innings meant for his team and the occasion of the World Cup a moment.

I believe this innings must surely help him kick on to become one of New Zealand's best ODI batsmen.

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