New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori said the 84-run opening wicket stand between Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptil ultimately proved to be the key in their four-wicket win over England in a low-scoring crucial Group B match.
New Zealand had to went through some late jitters during their run chase after bundling out England for a paltry 146 in 43.1 overs.
The Kiwis lost five wickets in the fag end of their run chase after McCullum (48) and Guptil (53) set the stage for the win, sharing quickfire 84 runs for the first wicket.
"It was not predetermined. I think they (McCullum and Guptil) had in their minds that some of these small totals are very tricky to chase. They just played their natural game and gave us a good start. If we didn't have got that start, it could have turned out to be really tricky," Vettori said after the match.
He also praised his bowlers, especially Grant Elliot (4/31) for bowling out a strong England batting line-up for less than 150.
"I am pleased with the bowlers. The toss was crucial as it was a difficult wicket to bat early on. We managed to put some pressure on England early on.
"Elliot gave us little bit of strength in the middle and bowling England out for less than 150 was a pretty good effort," the Kiwi captain said.
His counterpart Andrew Strauss, however, blamed the New Wanderers pitch for the defeat.
"I don't think it's a great wicket for one-day cricket. You will like to see a wicket which is more consistent. Earlier we didn't quite get it.
"But credit must go to New Zealand the way the came at us with the bat, especially McCullum and Guptil," Strauss said.
"You always want a bit of partnership when you are batting but we didn't get it. You also need a bit luck early on but all credit goes to New Zealand. They were accurate in every area, they didn't give us free hits while batting," he added.
Asked about his team's plan for the semifinals at Centurion Strauss said, "Centurion wicket is totally different. We need to focus on our strong point that is batting, which we did against South Africa. good wicket."
Meanwhile, man-of-the-match Grant Elliot said he was happy to contribute in the team's victory.
"When I came here today I never thought I will be getting man-of-the-match for bowling.
"I was called upon today, I didn't bowl much in Sri Lanka so there was a bit of pressure on me today and I am happy that I came out good," Elliot said.
