ICC Men’s CWC 2023: Confident South Africa looking to break the 24-year jinx against New Zealand
New Zealand and South Africa are the two teams that have come close to winning the World Cup over the years. However, it has been disappointing for their fans, that neither of the teams have been able to get their hands on the silverware.
In this World Cup too, they are likely to make it to the semi-finals given the kind of form they are in. Can we see a new world champion this time? While the final is still 20 days away, today’s match could well be a dress rehearsal of the final or atleast a semi-final.
On November 1, New Zealand and South Africa will come face to face in match number 32 of ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.
Head-to-Head
New Zealand and South Africa have played 71 ODIs against each other between 1992 and 2019, of which South Africa have won 41, New Zealand have won 25, and five matches did not produce results. In India, they have played just the one ODI, which New Zealand have won. At the World Cups, New Zealand dominate South Africa by 6-2 margin. South Africa beat New Zealand last in the 1999 World Cup.
| Particulars | New Zealand | South Africa |
| ICC ODI Rankings | 5 | 4 |
| Wins in ODIs | 25 | 41 |
| In India | 1 | 0 |
| At World Cups | 6 | 2 |
Performance in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 so far..
New Zealand and South Africa will play their seventh match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. Of the six matches they have played, New Zealand have won four and lost two, while South Africa have won five and lost one. The worry for New Zealand is that they have lost their last two matches on the trot.
| Match number | New Zealand | South Africa |
| 1 | Beat England by 9 wickets | Beat Sri Lanka by 102 runs |
| 2 | Beat Netherlands by 99 runs | Beat Australia by 134 runs |
| 3 | Beat Bangladesh by 8 wickets | Lost to Netherlands by 38 runs |
| 4 | Beat Afghanistan by 149 runs | Beat England by 229 runs |
| 5 | Lost to India by 4 wickets | Beat Bangladesh by 149 runs |
| 6 | Lost to Australia by 5 runs | Beat Pakistan by 1 wicket |
Squads
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (c), Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young.
South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Lizaad Williams.
Injury updates
New Zealand’s captain Kane Williamson who has played just the one match in this World Cup is likely to feature against South Africa. He might replace Lockie Ferguson. Williamson was out of action due to thumb injury that he sustained during the game against Bangladesh. Besides, there are no other injury concerns for New Zealand and South Africa.
Playing conditions
Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune will host the encounter between New Zealand and South Africa. It will be a day and night match. The venue will host its third match of this tournament. The team batting second have won the first two matches played here. The Chasing is expected to be easy as the dew comes into play in the second innings producing favourable conditions for batting.
Weather
The weather is expected to see plenty of sunshine. The maximum temperature attained during the day will be 33 degrees Celsius. There will be no cloud cover. There is no chance of rain. The wind will blow from the east.
Players to watch out for
Rachin Ravindra: The left-handed top order batter of New Zealand has been pleasing to watch. He is the leading run scorer for his team with 406 runs in six matches at an average of 81 and strike rate of 108. He is also a handy left arm spinner and has picked three wickets.
Mitchell Santner: New Zealand’s left arm spinner has been a genuine wicket-taker in this World Cup with 14 wickets in six matches, including a fifer. He has been useful lower down the order with the bat too and has the best of 36 not out.
Quinton de Kock: The attacking left-handed opening batter and wicket-keeper of South Africa has scored the most runs in this World Cup so far. He has muscled 431 runs in six matches at an average of 72 and strike rate of 117.
Marco Jansen: The tall left-arm pace sensation of South Africa has attracted the attention of all with 13 wickets in six matches. His batting prowess has also contributed to the team’s success. He has scored 143 runs, including the best of 75 not out.
Milestones alert
- Temba Bavuma needs 46 runs to complete 1500 ODI runs
- Lockie Ferguson needs 3 wickets to complete 100 ODI wickets
- Tom Latham needs 56 runs to complete 4000 ODI runs
- Jimmy Neesham needs 5 runs to complete 1500 ODI runs
- Will Young needs 9 runs to complete 1000 ODI runs
- Kane Williamson needs 11 runs to complete 1000 runs in World Cups
- Trent Boult needs 2 wickets to complete 50 wickets in World Cups
- Quinton de Kock (3) needs one century to equal AB de Villers (4), who has the most centuries for South Africa in World Cups
Match details
Date: November 1, 2023
Time: 2:00 PM IST
Venue: Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune
Live streaming: Star Sports, Hotstar
All the statistics are sourced from ESPN Cricinfo