A first appearance in the World Twenty20 cricket semifinals in nine years is firmly in New Zealand's grasp after they strangled Australia's chase in Dharamsala.

Three days after they rocked tournament favourites India, Kane Williamson's Black Caps mugged the old enemy with more of the same. Defending just 142-8, spin twins Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi slammed on the brakes and the recalled Mitchell McClenaghan finished the job for an eight-run victory.

Remarkably the Black Caps sit atop group two after felling two giants of the world game. Victory against Pakistan in Mohali early on Wednesday (NZT) will confirm their semifinal spot, otherwise Bangladesh loom as their final group hurdle to reach the playoffs for the first time since South Africa in 2007. A few more runs from the top-four and New Zealand are genuine title contenders, now on a roll in a wide open format.

ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS New Zealand's Mitchell McClenaghan (third right), who took 3-17 from three overs, high-fives teammates after a dismissal.

"It's nice to show some teams that we can play in these conditions," said a beaming McClenaghan, man of the match for his return of 3-17 including a killer final over where he snared Mitchell Marsh and Ashton Agar in the space of five deliveries.

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ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS Black Cap Grant Elliott pumps his fist after running out Australia's Usman Khawaja for the first wicket of the innings.

Corey Anderson stepped up to bowl the final over with 19 runs to play with and that was plenty, despite a Peter Nevill six causing some heart flutters. They ended 134-9.

McClenaghan snuffed out Australia's faltering challenge on the slow, turning surface at the foot of the Himalayas which bore a handy resemblance to Nagpur where they beat India at their own game.

It looked a risk but they omitted offspinner Nathan McCullum and recalled McClenaghan, the big left-armer whose change of angle and slow cutters were perfect for the conditions and proved another selection masterstroke by Williamson and coach Mike Hesson.

RYAN PIERSE/GETTY IMAGES Ish Sodhi and Kane Williamson celebrate after New Zealand clinched an eight-run victory over Australia.

"I like them [conditions], it makes me feel a bit more like a left-arm orthodox but they're good for bowling. Nathan's performance was outstanding [in Nagpur] and we're sitting two world class seamers on the bench [Tim Southee and Trent Boult]. We've got a fantastic squad," McClenaghan said.

Again the spinners did the job against Australia playing their opening match, having picked three tweakers themselves.

Santner is the budding star of the tournament after his man of the match 4-11 against India. This time he snared two of world cricket's biggest scalps, Steve Smith and David Warner, to rock Australia's chase for what looked a very getable total. He turned one past Smith who charged wildly, then dangerman Warner, who'd just played a part in Usman Khawaja's run out, took on the boundary rider Martin Guptill and lost.

ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS A fired-up Mitchell McClenaghan reacts after taking the wicket of Australia's Mitchell Marsh, one of his three in Dharamsala.

The Black Caps fielded like demons once more, snaring six catches while Adam Milne's rocket arm beat a sluggish Khawaja (38 off 27) after he'd made a flyer. Glenn Maxwell went for every big shot in the book but could barely lay bat on it, even switching to left-handed before skying one off Sodhi to end a wretched knock.

Santner ended with 2-30 off four and Sodhi 1-14 off four, another impressive, confident display from the young legspinner who took 3-18 to destroy his country of birth in Nagpur.

"We were fortunate to play on two wickets that are very similar and we adopted similar tactics. It was nice to get a score on the board that in most Twenty20s probably isn't enough. On these surfaces it's a pretty tough total to chase," said Williamson who was again decisive and rotated his bowlers expertly.

RYAN PIERSE/GETTY IMAGES Black Caps batsman Grant Elliott is run out for 27 during New Zealand's innings against Australia in Dharamsala.

It was the first time New Zealand and Australia had met in six editions of the World T20 and the Black Caps had fresh memories of their ODI series-winning performance in Hamilton in February.

It was a good toss for Williamson to win but the familiar batting story played out after he and Guptill added 61 off 7.1 overs. Guptill welcomed the recalled Agar with three big sixes but New Zealand lost their way in the middle against Australia's allrounders Shane Watson, Faulkner and Marsh. Change of pace was vital and the New Zealanders offered catching practice, before some late Grant Elliott blows got them a total that looked not quite enough.

Smith was unimpressed with Australia's batting after a decent bowling performance, and could throw himself in that reckless category too.

ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS Black Caps batsman Colin Munro plays a slog sweep shot during his innings of 23 off 26 balls in front of Australian wicketkeeper Peter Nevill.

"I thought around 150 was par. Their spinners bowled extremely well again though the middle and we didn't respond well. We lost wickets in clumps and you can't do that in T20 when you're chasing 140," Smith said.

"We just didn't apply ourselves enough, we had to knock the ball around a bit more and get off strike and get a few ones and twos rather than go for the big shot."

Australia face Bangladesh next followed by Pakistan, and it could come down to a big clash with India on March 28 to see who joins the Black Caps, the new team of the moment, in the playoffs.

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