5 Things: Anderson, Kiwis come of age, South Africa left to wonder 'what if'

Here are five things we learned from New Zealand's semifinal victory against South Africa on Tuesday at the Cricket World Cup:

1. A little déjà vu

Tuesday's Cricket World Cup semifinal between New Zealand and South Africa wasn't the first thriller produced by the two countries. Exactly one year ago, at the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, New Zealand seemed on their way to victory with a well-set Ross Taylor at the crease and just seven needed to win off six balls with five wickets in hand.

Enter Dale Steyn, arguably the world's best bowler under pressure next to Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga. Steyn took two wickets in the first five balls and crucially kept Taylor off strike until the final ball. After being forced to watch mayhem for the first five at the non-striker's end, Taylor mistimed the final ball back to Steyn, who whipped off the bails at the non-striker's end for a third wicket in the over as South Africa won by two runs.

On Tuesday, Steyn had five more runs to play with as New Zealand needed 12 to win off the final six balls. This time, though, New Zealand would not be denied. Daniel Vettori turned the tables on Steyn three balls into the over by jabbing a boundary behind point before Grant Elliott struck a vicious uppercut over midwicket to put Steyn and South Africa down for the count and out of the World Cup.

2. Tough recovery ahead for South Africa

For batsmen like de Villiers and Hashim Amla, who are 30 and 31, they will still have plenty left in the tank come 2019. The same can't be said of fast bowlers who wear down much quicker because of the physical toll their bodies takes. At 31, Steyn is unlikely to be the same menacing force four years from now. Morne Morkel's tearful reaction after the final ball said the same for the 30-year-old -- they knew this was their best chance and they blew it.

All four of South Africa's specialist bowlers might find it difficult to make the cut for 2019, and if any of them do, they will be past their best. It's hard to see South Africa coming up with a lineup better equipped to contend for a World Cup than they had with this crop.

3. Corey Anderson comes of age

One of the most exciting things about this New Zealand side is the plethora of young talent at their disposal. The only two players from Tuesday's starting 11 who will be over 40 by the 2019 World Cup are Elliott and Vettori. Kane Williamson will certainly be the foundation of the batting lineup. Trent Boult is a good bet to lead the bowlers.

But Corey Anderson trumps them all in terms of his all-round impact. He has been explosive in the middle order since his 2013 debut and capable with the ball, as he showed in an opening-day win against Sri Lanka with 75 runs in 46 balls and two wickets. On Tuesday, he took wickets at key times and mostly held South Africa in check in the final five overs once play resumed after a nearly two-hour rain delay.

Most important, he showed he can play a measured innings instead of swinging for six from ball one. With the weight of the world on his shoulders and Eden Park eerily quiet for the first time all night, Anderson calmly absorbed the pressure to strike a composed half-century and took three wickets, scored 58 off 57 balls and forged a momentum-shifting 103-run partnership with Elliott to get New Zealand's chase back on track. Not a bad day at the office for the 24-year-old. The sky is the limit for him.

4. The garden of Eden

New Zealand's most renowned rugby venue, Auckland's Eden Park, has consistently hosted the best matches of the Cricket World Cup. It started two weeks into the tournament with a barnburner between co-hosts Australia and New Zealand that the Kiwis took by one wicket. Pakistan won a rain-affected match against South Africa by 29 runs on March 7. Zimbabwe's Brendan Taylor signed off his international career with a brilliant 138 that was trumped by a superb chase from India in a six-wicket win for the defending World Cup champs.

Tuesday's semifinal was a fitting way to cap off the games in New Zealand. It wasn't just because the home team won. After four anticlimactic quarterfinals, the knockout stage was in need a competitive match. And Eden Park has been a stage for drama. With the strong crowds New Zealand has produced in comparison to the arguably lackluster support in Australia, it's a shame New Zealand will not get to host the final.

5. South Africa's botched runouts

In the most pivotal moment of the match, South Africa blew a crucial runout chance in the 32nd over with Anderson on 33 and the score 204 for 4 when a miscommunication between Elliott and Anderson left the latter stranded halfway down the pitch.

The knee-jerk reaction across social media was that AB de Villiers was most at fault for being unable to collect the throw cleanly before knocking the bails off at the non-striker's end. But the fault really should lie with Rilee Rossouw, who fielded the ball with plenty of time to toss a gentle lob but instead fired a panicky throw at de Villiers' ankles. When the throw reached de Villiers, Anderson was still 10 yards down the pitch, but de Villiers couldn't corral it despite his best efforts.

Later in the 41st over, Elliott clipped a ball into the leg side and tried to hurry back for a second run when Rossouw charged in from the boundary and again fired an errant throw at wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock. Had the throw been on the fly straight into de Kock's gloves, Elliott would have been out by two feet. Instead, de Kock was unable to take the ball on a short hop at shin height.