SA's nervous energy almost won them this game, but ended up losing it for them.
It was their nervous energy that saw Amla and De Kock out early playing loose shots, but that saw Faf and Rossou hustle hard and absorb the pressure so well right after. ABDV is a walking talking ball-smashing bundle of energy, and then Miller right at the end exploded like a firework.
All this energy was there to be seen in the field, as ABDV kept shuffling bowlers to hold back McCullum, as Morkel and Philander and Steyn all turned in fantastic spells at various points, as Tahir bundled through the crease every ball pushing hard and hard for a wicket so he could go on a lap of celebration around Eden park.
It was the same energy that saw them fling themselves after the ball in godly display of fielding, that saw ABDV bowl one of the best death spells of the world cup. It was the same energy that powered Dale Steyn through that final spell.
But it was the same energy that saw ABDV and De Kock fumble the ball, and that saw Duminy collide into Behardien.
Their nervous energy saw them put on an incredible performance in all 3 disciplines, yet saw them lose some crucial moments. Not a choke. Not bottling a game they should have won. Just their excitement and eagerness that fueled them turning around to bite them.
It's hard to point a finger on one defining turning point in a game that consisted of about a billion of them. Amla and De Kock's loose start, Faf and Rossouws recovery, that Guptill catch, that Williamson drop, a few missed runout chances, the rain, the reveiwed wide that sent back Faf short of a well deserved 100, Miller's assault, another drop. Then the McCullum blitz, the Tahir maiden, Kane's dragging on, Ross running out Guppy and getting himself strangled down leg, Corey's counter punch, ABDV bowling, ABDV missing a runout, Morkel's over, Ronchi holing out, Dan's four, another missed runout, the dropped catch, the four, the six.
In the end, the assertion made earlier in this thread by one of the old wise members that the coolest head on the night would win the game was corrrect.
Elliot had the coolest head that night. And he won the game. Grant Elliot, of all people, has played an ATG World Cup innings in one of the ATG ODIs.
McCullums six at the start off Steyn signalled the NZ's intent to win this in style; Elliot's six off Steyn was a fitting way to wrap it up.
Great game. Fantastic.