Tonight, the Black Caps take on India in the first semi-final of the 2023 Cricket World Cup. New Zealand are major underdogs, but have a history of upsets on the big stage. 1News cricket tragic Sean Nugent revisits some of the Black Caps' greatest heists at the Cricket World Cup.
vs India, 2019 semi-final
If the Black Caps needed any motivation for tonight's semi-final they need to look no further than the exact same scenario four years ago. While the tournament is now remembered for the mere inches New Zealand were from winning the title, it's worth remembering they barely snuck into the semi-finals to begin with.
Finishing in fourth ahead of Pakistan on net run rate, the Black Caps were faced with the prospect of taking down India, who had lost just one game of eight at the tournament. Rohit Sharma was the tournament's leading run scorer, and came into the game off the back of three straight centuries.
Kane Williamson won the toss and elected to bat, but India were quick to strangle the batsmen for runs. Williamson and Taylor combined nicely to keep the scoreboard ticking over, before the skipper fell for 67. Taylor held it together until the rain came and washed out the rest of the day.
Play resumed the following day with New Zealand adding 28 off the final 23 balls of their innings to set India a target of 240. It seemed short of a score that would trouble Sharma and Virat Kohli, but the mood changed in a matter of minutes.
Matt Henry nicked off the big fish Sharma for one in the second over, before Trent Boult trapped Kohli in front in the next over. When Henry nicked off KL Rahul three balls later, India were reeling at 5/3, with all three of their leading run scorers back in the sheds. A screamer of a catch by Jimmy Neesham followed and from there New Zealand kept chipping away at the middle order as the pressure mounted.
Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni threatened to wrestle the game back into India's favour, but when Dhoni was run out by a direct hit from Martin Guptill, the match was effectively over. India fell 18 runs short, leaving scars they are still trying to overcome.
vs South Africa, 2015 semi-final
The game that inspired a nation.
South Africa came into the game on fire. This was arguably their greatest ever ODI team, in the form of their lives, and up against a New Zealand side transformed under the guidance of Brendon McCullum. It promised to be a brilliant game, and boy did it deliver.
Batting first, South Africa were 216/3 after 38 overs when rain stopped play. When it resumed, AB de Villiers and David Miller battered the Black Caps, smashing 65 off the final five overs. Once the score was adjusted, New Zealand needed to chase a formidable 298 in just 43 overs.
As he had all tournament, McCullum came flying out of the gates, racing to a 22-ball 50 before being dismissed for 59. Williamson followed soon after before Ross Taylor ran out his mate Martin Guptill and was then strangled down the leg side off JP Duminy. That left the inexperienced Grant Elliott and Corey Anderson with half the runs still to get in the final 20 overs.
But both shook off the nerves and combined superbly to keep the Black Caps in the game. A huge moment came with New Zealand still needing 90 off the final 11 overs. A mix-up saw Anderson stranded in the middle of the pitch set to succumb to an easy run out. But a low throw to the bowler's end was dropped by de Villiers, allowing Anderson to survive.
That proved costly as Anderson added a further 25 runs before being dismissed for 58. Luke Ronchi fell shortly after as Elliott tried to keep a quickly-sinking ship afloat.
That's when the C-word came roaring back for South Africa. Two balls after Ronchi's dismissal, Quinton de Kock dropped a throw that would have run out Elliott. An over later, Elliott skied one to deep fine leg, where substitute Farhaan Behardien dropped an easy catch as Duminy collided with him.
New Zealand still needed 12 from the final over, bowled by Dale Steyn. Two singles were followed by a boundary squirted through point by Daniel Vettori. He and Elliott ran a bye the next ball (both should have been run out) before Elliott famously smashed a six over long on to send New Zealand to its first ever World Cup final (we don't speak of what happened after that).
vs Australia, 2015 group stage
One of the most topsy-turvy insane games of all time, this was a spectacle that no New Zealand cricket fan could ever forget.
In front of a packed Eden Park, Trent Boult ran through the Australian middle order in amazing fashion, taking a wicket off what felt like every ball.
Australia had been 80/1 after a fast start by Aaron Finch and David Warner. Then what felt like five minutes later, they were 106/9. It was incredible.
Brad Haddin stuck around to push his side through to 151, but when Brendon McCullum came out swinging, racing to 50 off just 21 balls, it seemed like New Zealand were on track for a simple victory.
Then McCullum got out. Ok fine, it's 79/2, the Black Caps are halfway there anyway. But then Mitchell Starc took the ball.
Now it's 79/3, Ross Taylor bowled. Next ball it's 79/4, Grant Elliott bowled. Uh oh. Corey Anderson survives the hat-trick ball and together with Kane Williamson helps calm the nerves of Kiwi fans.
The pair put on 52 before Anderson holed out, and that opened the door for more Starc carnage. Luke Ronchi was bounced out. 139/6. Daniel Vettori chipped Pat Cummins to mid-on. 145/7, only seven needed to win. Williamson takes a single off Starc, six needed. But the fiery left-arm quick cleans up Adam Milne next ball, and Tim Southee with the following delivery to leave New Zealand on the brink of defeat at 146/9 and Trent Boult on strike.
The number 11 survived Starc's final two deliveries before Williamson wasted no time in smashing Cummins over long on for six off the first ball of the next over to win the game.
vs South Africa, 2011 quarter-final
South Africa and World Cup knockout games are not usually a good mix, and this was no exception. This game really should have been no contest.
South Africa's top six was Hashim Amla, Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy and Faf du Plessis. Handy. Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel led the bowlers. Very handy. Yet somehow, some way, they managed to blow it once again.
Batting first, New Zealand battled to 221/8, led by 83 from Jesse Ryder and contributions from Ross Taylor and a young Kane Williamson.
In reply, South Africa were well on track at 121/3 in the 28th over. Nathan McCullum then bowled Duminy before du Plessis had a moment of madness and ran out de Villiers two balls later (the Black Caps famously let du Plessis know all about what he'd done).
There was no way back for the Proteas, as they crumbled to 172 all out, handing an underdog Black Caps side a shock victory.
vs Pakistan, 2011 group stage
A crucial World Cup clash that essentially booked a quarter-final spot for New Zealand, the match was taken over by Ross Taylor, who was celebrating his 27th birthday.
Coming in to bat at 55/2, Pakistan keeper Kamran Akmal quickly gifted Taylor two dropped catches in his first four balls. Oh how he would make them pay.
After 44 overs, New Zealand were just 188/5 with Taylor holding up an end on 68. Twenty-two runs were added off the next two overs before Nathan McCullum fell. Jacob Oram joined Taylor as the final four overs brought absolute carnage.
The pair scored 92 runs (92!) off the final 24 balls, with Taylor smashing Shoaib Akhtar for 28 off an over to bring up his century, before then carting Abdul Razzaq for a World Cup-record 30 runs off the penultimate over.
Off his final 13 balls, Taylor scored 55 runs, to finish unbeaten on 131 as New Zealand posted 302/7 after having looked unlikely to even get to 250. Tim Southee and Kyle Mills then reduced Pakistan to 23/4 and the game was essentially won.
vs South Africa, 2003 group stage
The game most remembered as Stephen Fleming's greatest in his ODI career.
New Zealand were set a formidable target of 307 after Herschelle Gibbs slammed 143 off 141 balls at the Wanderers. In reply, Fleming and Craig McMillan saw off Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini before tearing into Allan Donald and Jacques Kallis.
McMillan fell for 25 but Nathan Astle picked up where he left off and joined Fleming in smashing the Proteas all around the park.
Fleming brought up his first World Cup century in the 30th over and when rain began falling shortly after New Zealand were 182/1. When the game resumed, the Black Caps required 44 off 51 balls and eased to the target with 13 balls to spare.
vs India, 1999 Super Sixes
India were already knocked out of the tournament but New Zealand still needed a win to guarantee a spot in the semis.
The late 1990s were not a fun time to play India either. Sachin Tendulkar was in his pomp and was ably assisted by the likes of Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid. Either side of this World Cup, New Zealand were crushed.
But it was the Kiwis who won the most important game in Nottingham. The Black Caps managed to keep the big three quiet and restricted India to 251 off their 50 overs.
In reply, Matt Horne anchored the innings with 74 while Roger Twose came to the party for the second time in the tournament to guide New Zealand home alongside some late fireworks from Adam Parore.
vs Australia, 1999 group stage
Warne, McGrath, Ponting, Waugh (both Mark and Steve), Bevan etc etc, this Australian team was full of world class talent and would eventually go on to win the tournament. But in a group stage clash in Cardiff, they were stunned by a plucky Black Caps side.
Steve Waugh won the toss and chose to bat on a slow deck, and his side struggled to just 213/8 from their 50 overs, having earlier been 149/3 in the 36th over.
However, as New Zealand began their innings it didn't look like it would matter, as the Black Caps slid to 49/4 within 16 overs.
Yet Roger Twose and Chris Cairns refused to lie down, combining for a 148-run partnership before Cairns fell. Twose remained at the crease and crunched Damien Fleming for four to win the game and was quickly mobbed by the crowd rushing the field.
Australia would lose their next game to Pakistan then go unbeaten at the World Cup for 12 years, winning three straight titles in the process.
vs Australia, 1992 group stage
Arguably the most iconic Black Caps World Cup performance until 2015, this was a mouth-watering contest at Eden Park to open the 1992 tournament.
Batting first, Martin Crowe's unbeaten century helped New Zealand to a very competitive 248. The game was in the balance midway through Australia's innings before the Black Caps turned in one of the best fielding performances ever seen.
First came the rocket throw from the boundary by Chris Cairns to run out Dean Jones, which he quickly followed up with a crucial catch running in off the rope to dismiss Allan Border.
Not to be outdone, Rod Latham took a flying caught and bowled to see the back of Tom Moody, before Gavin Larsen took an even better one late in the innings to dismiss Steve Waugh.
David Boon brought up his century the following over, only for Chris Harris to throw down his stumps from the boundary. Harris then smartly ran out Craig McDermott as Australia quickly crumbled from 199/5 to 211 all out. When the winning catch was taken, the ecstatic Auckland crowd stormed the field in celebration.
vs England, 1983 group stage
A classic case of Kiwi perseverance, the Black Caps managed to somehow sneak over the line against a formidable England side featuring Ian Botham, Mike Gatting, David Gower, Allan Lamb and Bob Willis.
Batting first, England surmounted 234, but were bowled out with just under five of their 60 overs still to play (the first few editions of the World Cup played 60 overs rather than 50).
In reply, New Zealand quickly lost both openers inside three overs, and despite the efforts of Geoff Howarth (60), found themselves 151/6 with Jeremy Coney and Richard Hadlee at the crease.
Against the odds, the pair added 70 runs, before Coney guided the Kiwis home with two wickets and a ball to spare.
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