The 30-year-old Anwar cracked 113 not out and young Wasti came up with a superb 84 to propel the 1992 champions into their second final, at the Lord's on June 20 against winners of the second semifinal between Australia and South Africa tomorrow.

Anwar (113 no - 137 b, 8x4) and Wasti (84 - 123 b, 10x4, 1x6) flayed the Kiwi attack as Pakistan coasted to 242 for one wicket in 47.3 overs after tearaway Shoaib Akhtar led the way to restrict New Zealand, opting to bat first on a docile track, to 241 for seven in 50 overs in what turned out to be a woefully onesided contest.

Anwar struck his second straight century of the tournament, after his 103 against Zimbabwe, and the 17th of his career as he and the 25-year-old Wasti -- playing only his seventhtie -- flayed the unidimensional Kiwi pace attack.

The two erased the previous highest World Cup opening stand of 186 set by South Africa's Gary Kirsten and Andrew Hudson against Holland at Rawalpindi in 1996.

A pitch invasion by overenthusiastic Pakistan fans held up play for a while with just six runs needed for victory, before stewards managed to clear the ground to complete the match.

Returning to his best form, Anwar, with a confident Wasti, gave Pakistan a flying start. Left-arm paceman Geoff Allot, who has emerged the highest wickettaker in a single World Cup, was wayward and reflected the listless Kiwi attack.

Wasti showed his fine technique and conventional approach at the outset but came up with forceful fours off Allot on his way to reaching his maiden one-day fifty ahead of Anwar.

Picking runs steadily and finding the ropes whenever the slow medium stuff of Gavin Larsen and Chris Cairns looked like coming on top, both openers simply pulled the match away to leave the Kiwi skipper StephenFleming a resigned man.

Wasti mistimed Cairns to Fleming at mid-off close to a richly deserved maiden ton, but Anwar brought off his century in the 44th over, as the boistrous Pakistan fans set off yet another round of crackers in the stands.

The fans invaded the pitch with Pakistan on 236 in the 47th over, but they were cleared to complete the tie.

Pakistan needed 46 runs with nine overs left, but Ijaz Ahmed went after Chris Cairns and hoisted Nathan Astle for a straight six to hasten victory. He remained 28 not out.

Akhtar, adjudged man of the match, instilled fear in the minds of the Kiwi batsmen with his pace and variation to capture three for 55 with fine support from skipper Wasim Akram (2/45) and teenager Abdul Razzaq (2/28) as Pakistan bowlers shackled Kiwi hopes of a big total.

In-form Roger Twose (46) and Fleming added 94 runs for the fourth wicket and Chris Cairns (44 no off 48 balls) also helped the Kiwis post a decent total, but the clinical chase undid the efforts.

ScoreBoard

Semi-finals: New Zealand vs Pakistan

New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat

New Zealand R B 4/6
Matt Horne b Razzaq 35 48 5/0
Nathan Astle b Akhtar 3 18 0/0
Craig McMillan c Moin b Akram 3 19 0/0
Stephen Fleming b Akhtar 41 57 5/0
Roger Twose c Ijaz b Razzaq 46 83 3/0
Chris Cairns not out 44 48 3/0
Chris Harris b Akhtar 16 21 0/0
Adam Parore b Akram 0 4 0/0
Dion Nash not out 6 10 1/0
Extras (b4, lb14, w17, nb12): 47
Total (7 wickets, 50 overs): 241
Fall of wickets: 1-20 (Astle, 5.3 overs), 2-38 (McMillan, 10.3), 3-58 (Horne, 15.1), 4-152 (Fleming, 33.5), 5-176 (Twose, 39.3), 6-209 (Harris, 45.4), 7-211 (Parore, 46.4)

Bowling: Akram 10-0-45-2 (4nb, 7w), Akhtar10-0-55-3 (2nb, 1w), Razzaq 8-0-28-2 (1w), Saqlain 8-0-36-0 (1w), Mahmood 9-0-32-0 (3w), Afridi 5-0-27-0 (2nb, 2w).

Pakistan R B 4/6
Saeed Anwar not out 113 148 9/0
WajahatullahWasti c Fleming b Cairns 84 123 10/1
Ijaz Ahmed not out 28 21 4/1
Extras (lb3, w7, nb7) 17
Total (1 wicket, 47.3 overs) 242

Did not bat: Inzamam-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Moin Khan, Wasim Akram, Azhar Mahmood, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shoaib Akhtar.
Fall of wickets: 1-194 (Wajahatullah, 40.3 overs).
Bowling: Allott 9-0-41-0 (1nb, 1w), Nash 5-0-34-0 (2nb, 2w), Larsen 10-0-40-0 (1nb), Cairns 8-0-33-1 (3nb), Harris 6-0-31-0, Astle 7.3-0-41-0 (1w), McMillan 2-0-19-0 (1w).

Result Pakistan win by nine wickets

Man of the match: Shoaib Akhtar