NEW ZEALAND beat Pakistan in the semi-final of the Champions Trophy and will now face Australia at Centurion tomorrow.
Grant Elliott, who came to the wicket with his team struggling at 72 for three, smashed 75 not out to see his side home. He put on 104 runs with his captain, Daniel Vettori, as the Kiwis reached 234 for five, to win by five wickets with 13 balls to spare.
Earlier, a half-century from Umar Akmal helped Pakistan to 233 for nine at the Wanderers.
The teenager hit 55 from 62 balls and was given good support from Mohammad Yousuf (45) as the pair shared an 80-run fifth-wicket stand, before they were pegged back by Vettori (three for 43) and Ian Butler, who took a career-best four for 44.
After they perished, Pakistan looked set to be dismissed for less than 200, but good lower-order hitting from Mohammad Aamer (19 not out) and Saeed Ajmal (14 not out) helped boost their total.
• Champions Trophy final, Australia v New Zealand, tomorrow, Sky Sports 1, 1.30pm
Scoreboard:
Pakistan
Imran Nazir c Taylor b Bond 28
†Kamran Akmal c Redmond b Butler 24
Shoaib Malik c Taylor b Butler 2
*Younis Khan c Taylor b Vettori 15
Mohammad Yousuf b Mills 45
Umar Akmal lbw b Vettori 55
Shahid Afridi c McCullum b Butler 4
Naved-ul-Hasan c Guptill b Vettori 8
Umar Gul c Broom b Butler 6
Mohammad Aamer not out 19
Saeed Ajmal not out 14
Extras (lb 6, w 5, nb 2) 13
Total (9 wkts, 50 overs) 233
Fall: 1-46, 2-61, 3-69, 4-86, 5-166, 6-181, 7-183, 8-192, 9-198
Bowling: Mills 10-0-46-1; Bond 10-1-54-1; Butler 10-0-44-4; Franklin 8-0-33-0; Vettori 10-2-43-3; Elliott 2-0-7-0
New Zealand
†B B McCullum c Afridi b Aamer 17
A J Redmond c and b Ajmal 31
M J Guptill c Naved b Gul 11
L R P L Taylor b Afridi 38
G D Elliott not out 75
*D L Vettori st K Akmal b Ajmal 41
N T Broom not out 3
Extras (b 2, lb 6, w 6, nb 4) 18
Total (5 wkts, 47.5 overs) 234
Did not bat: J E C Franklin, K D Mills, I G Butler, S E Bond
Fall: 1-22, 2-43, 3-71, 4-126, 5-230
Bowling: Aamer 10-2-32-1; Naved 8-0-57-0; Gul 8.5-0-48-1; Ajmal 8-0-39-2; Afridi 10-0-41-1; Shoaib 3-0-9-0
