BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, May 9: Defending champions Pakistan were eliminated from the World Twenty20 after losing to New Zealand by just one run in a thrilling Super Eights match on Saturday.
Victory for South Africa over England in Saturday´s other Group E match at the Kensington Oval meant Pakistan no longer had a chance of reaching the semi-finals.[break]
Recalled New Zealand fast bowler Ian Butler took an impressive three wickets for 19 runs as opener Salman Butt, who finished on 67 not out, so nearly saw Pakistan to victory after a top-order collapse.
Pakistan, chasing 134 to win, finished on 132 for seven in reply to the 133 for seven New Zealand made after losing the toss.
The title-holders began the final over, bowled by Butler, needing 11 to win.
Left-hander Butt couldn´t make contact with the first ball but slashed the second down to third man for four.
He also missed the third delivery before crashing the fourth through point for another boundary.
Off the fifth ball, Pakistan ran a bye and that left Abdur Rehman, who´d earlier taken two wickets for just 19 runs in his first Twenty20 international for nearly three years, on strike with two needed off the final ball.
Rehman, also a left-hander, made good contact as he swung at a legside delivery from Butler but the ball flew straight to Martin Guptill to spark joyous celebrations amongst the New Zealand team.
The Black Caps, who lost their opening Super Eights match to South Africa as Pakistan went down to England, needed a victory every bit as much as the title-holders to revive their hopes of a semi-final spot.
Pakistan collapsed to 25 for three in the face of hostile fast bowling from Shane Bond and the recalled Kyle Mills.
Man-of-the-match Butler, selected along with Mills after fellow seamers Jacob Oram and Tim Southee were dropped, then struck twice to reduce Pakistan to 58 for five in his first match of the tournament.
Butler had Misbah-ul-Haq lbw for three and then, after digging in a short ball on a lively pitch, saw Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi caught pulling for 11 by a diving Nathan McCullum, running in from deep midwicket.
Replays were not conclusive as to whether the ball had carried but Afridi walked off and the catch stood.
Abdul Razzaq gave Pakistan renewed hope by driving New Zealand captain and left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori for a six and a four off successive balls.
Razzaq then finished a 15th over from Vettori that cost 16 runs with another huge six, this time lofted over deep midwicket, to leave Pakistan in the far more healthy position of 94 for five.
He then failed to connect several times against Bond before flat-batting the bowler for a massive six over long-on that landed on top of the pavilion.
However, when Razzaq holed to off-spinner Nathan McCullum for a 28-ball 29 it meant Pakistan were 111 for six and needed 23 off 13 balls for victory.
That became 22 off two overs and then Butt, giving himself room, drove Mills for a superb six over long-off.
Butt, only one of three batsmen in the Pakistani innings to make it into double figures, faced 54 balls for his undefeated 67, with a six and eight fours.
Vettori led the way for New Zealand with 38. Only opener Brendon McCullum (33) also made it past 30.
Pakistan complete their Super Eights programme against South Africa in St Lucia on Monday, when New Zealand face England.
Pietersen and spinners sink South Africa
England all but ensured progress to the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup when they beat South Africa by 39 runs in sparkling style.
A belligerent half-century by Kevin Pietersen set England on the way to a good total of 168 for seven.
Then spinners Graeme Swann (3-24) and Michael Yardy (2-31) showed their worth as South Africa were bowled out for 129.
The victory means England have a maximum four points ahead of their final Group E game against New Zealand on Monday.
New Zealand and South Africa have two points while Pakistan are without a win from two matches.
Pietersen will miss the game with New Zealand as he flies home to be with his wife for the birth of their first child but he is expected to return for the semi-final game.
England will be hoping there are no volcano eruptions in Iceland to stop Pietersen´s return next week after he showed once again the qualities he brings to the side.
Strutting at the crease, his body language sent a clear message to the South African bowlers that he was not going to be forced on to the back foot.
"When you see the lads going out to bat with that kind of intent, it´s really exciting. Our line-up has got a lot of potential," said captain Paul Collingwood.
After England lost Michael Lumb early, Pietersen joined Craig Kieswetter and the pair looked up for the battle against the country of their birth.
There was some good fortune for the nationality-swapping pair however - Kieswetter was caught off a no ball by Morne Morkel and two balls later Pietersen edged a clear chance between keeper Mark Boucher and first slip Jacques Kallis.
But having offered South Africa a chance to see the back of them, the England batsmen punished them without mercy.
Pietersen (53 in 33 balls) and Kieswetter smashed 94 for the second wicket before the former was dismissed in the 12th over.
When Kieswetter also went two overs later for 41, England lost their momentum somewhat and would have been disappointed they did not go on to make an even bigger score.
But the total was too much for a South African top order that simply never got into top gear.
Pietersen took a simple catch at mid-on to get rid of Kallis off the bowling of Stuart Broad and then Yardy picked up the prize wicket of Herschelle Gibbs -- Ryan Sidebottom making a fine catch at short leg.
When Proteas skipper Graeme Smith holed out to Lumb on the midwicket boundary off Swann, South Africa were 44 for three in the eighth over and in trouble they never recovered from.
"They were far better than us today," said Smith.
"We fought back well, but our first 10 overs were poor. Consistency has been our problem of late in the shorter form of the game," he said.