Oram athleticism turns tide New Zealand's way

(Reuters) - A remarkable piece of athleticism by former New Zealand youth goalkeeper Jacob Oram swung the World Cup quarter-final against South Africa decisively in his team's favour on Friday.

South Africa, determined to bury their reputation as serial chokers on one-day cricket's biggest stage, were cruising to victory in Dhaka as just about everybody in the tournament outside the Kiwi camp had predicted.
Pursuing what appeared an inadequate New Zealand total of 221 for
eight, South Africa had reached 108 for two shortly before the halfway stage with Jacques Kallis well set on 47.
Then Kallis, deciding the time had come to accelerate and put the match beyond doubt, heaved Tim Southee into what appeared to be vacant leg-side territory.
Oram, running backwards, lined the ball up and clasped it gratefully above his head to his team mates' delight.
Sensing a familiar flaw in a team who had lost to New Zealand in both the last two tournaments, captain Daniel Vettori moved on to the attack.
AB de Villiers, on 35, was run out by Martin Guptill as a result of brilliant fielding and hesitant running and JP Duminy (3) showed just how much the pressure was telling with a horrible heave across the line against Nathan McCullum.
Oram, whose medium-pace variations were perfectly suited to a low-bouncing pitch of a type not uncommon in New Zealand, finished with four for 39 as the South Africans imploded and lost by 49 runs.
Astonishingly, they have now lost each of the five knockout matches they have played since entering the World Cup in 1992 while New Zealand advanced to the semi-finals for the sixth time.
If South Africa have consistently failed to meet expectations, New Zealand have always punched above their weight at the World Cup and Friday's win was another example of their tenacity and professionalism.
WHY NOT?
Vettori told a news conference South Africa's victory target had not been difficult.
"It wasn't a tough ask really, 250 would have been a good score," he said. "For us it's always been getting out De Villiers. Their top four have been proven for long, long time and have an excellent track record.
"So we have to take wickets. We cannot give their tail a chance."
The Kiwis will now play the winners of Saturday's quarter-final between Sri Lanka and England in Colombo next Tuesday.
New Zealand have never played in a final and, although Vettori's side is not one of their best one-day combinations, they scrap hard and fear nobody.
"We believe we can go all the way now, why not?" said Oram.
"We've just beaten a side who were the top qualifier from the other group, who defeated India, so why not take belief from it? If we didn't there would be no point in playing."
Smith, who had believed that the addition of a skilled spin attack was the final ingredient South Africa needed to lift the Cup on the sub-continent, had no excuses.
"We feel terrible," he said. "We come out here and tried to give our best, I cannot fault the way the team has tried and prepared.
"We have tried to give our best all the time, but we are disappointed. We let us down and let a lot of people back home down. There are no excuses for that."