Grant Elliott helps Dale Steyn up after hitting he winning runs.
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If New Zealand win their maiden World Cup on Sunday, it will probably be the biggest wedding gift that Grant Elliott can give his sister. A belated one, though. The 36-year-old all-rounder turned hero in Auckland on Tuesday night after his unbeaten 84 helped New Zealand clinch their maiden World Cup spot.(New Zealand Deserved to Enter Finals: De Villiers)
Ironically, his winning stroke consigned South Africa to a heart-breaking defeat. But the Johannesburg-born Elliott showed no emotions, even giving Dale Steyn a helping hand after smashing him for a winning six.(New Zealand in Final)
The World Cup final will be played in Melbourne on Sunday and New Zealand will take on the winners of India versus Australia. The second semifinal will be played in Sydney on Thursday. Elliott's sister is getting married on Friday and he will miss the party.(McCullum Hails New Zealand's Semifinal Win as 'Greatest Moment' )
"She's got a wedding on Friday. Unfortunately, I will miss her wedding. I'm sorry. She's pretty happy for me but I'm going to have to get her a special gift I think," Elliott said. Top-notch cricketers have always looked at the "bigger picture" and have put team before family. Sachin Tendulkar did it in 1999.(Elliott, Take a Bow: Pietersen )
Three days after his father Ramesh Tendulkar passed away, Sachin joined his teammates back in England and scored a century against Kenya to inspire India to a big World Cup win. It was Sachin's mother who forced her son to go back to cricket. Elliott, of course, is in a happier space.
On Tuesday, Elliott admitted that he "was really feeling the pressure" of the knife-edge finish. New Zealand won with a ball to spare.
"I knew I had two balls. Dan (Vettori) said we weren't going to run to the keeper again so I knew it was up to me. I had two balls. I knew four runs would do it because a tie was as good as a win. That was in the back of my mind.
"The chase, we probably left it a little bit late to be honest. It was stressful."
Elliott came into the World Cup calculations late in the innings. He and Corey Anderson combined for a 103-run partnership in 98 balls before the latter was dismissed and the wobbles set in.
Off the last over (by Steyn) New Zealand needed 11 to tie. Gritty and clever as ever, Vettori squeezed a four to backward point, but a couple of byes left Elliott needing the big shot. Steyn was thinking length ball; Elliott was thinking four or six. A South African defeated South Africa!
"That's the first moment that you actually feel a release of emotion. Cricket's the sort of game where you have to be quite unemotional in your approach. It was a great feeling... to savour that moment and know you're through to the final."
"There's been a lot talk about us just making the semis and never quite kicking on... I know it means a lot to the team but you could see the emotions in the stands today. It means a lot to a lot of people. Hopefully we can repay the faith in the final as well."
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