PUNE, India: New Zealand and South Africa meet at the MCA Stadium in Pune, India at 2pm (08:30 GMT) today for their seventh match of the ICC Cricket World Cup-2023.
South Africa are second on the points table and need four more points (two wins) to secure a semi-final berth.
Pakistan’s fate in the tournament teeters on a knife’s edge. Their path to the semi-finals hinges on today’s crucial showdown between South Africa and New Zealand at the Maharashtra Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan’s roller-coaster journey took a positive turn in their recent match against Bangladesh, where they secured a convincing 7-wicket victory, breaking a streak of four consecutive defeats. With renewed hope, they now look to South Africa with fans and prayers standing in their corner, knowing that the outcome of the South Africa vs. New Zealand match will largely determine their fate.
New Zealand’s cricket team, a formidable force in the competition, has faced setbacks in their last two matches, falling to India and Australia. In contrast, South Africa has displayed resilience by winning both of their recent encounters. Their batting performances have been noteworthy when setting targets, but they faced an unexpected defeat against the Netherlands when chasing. However, they managed to reach the target against Pakistan, albeit by narrowly avoiding a total of just 09 wickets lost.
A glance at the World Cup match results for New Zealand and South Africa reveals interesting patterns. New Zealand has participated in 6 matches, securing 4 wins and experiencing 2 losses. Meanwhile, South Africa has won 5 of their 6 matches, marking them as strong contenders in the tournament. When assessing their head-to-head encounters, South Africa has historically had the upper hand, winning 41 out of 71 one-day matches played between the two teams. New Zealand, on the other hand, has triumphed in 25 matches, while 5 have ended without a result.
The pitch report for the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune suggests that it will favor batsmen, but spin bowlers will find ample support. This indicates that playing big shots might not be straightforward for the batsmen. In 9 one-day matches held at this venue, teams batting first have won 4 times, while those chasing the target emerged victorious in 5 instances. The average score for teams batting first in the last 9 matches on this pitch stands at 294 runs.
Weather conditions for the match in Pune appear favorable, with a maximum temperature of 29 degrees Celsius and a humidity level of 39 percent. There is no expectation of rain during the match.
The points table for the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 has become intriguing, especially after Pakistan’s consecutive victories over Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Beyond India and South Africa, the outcomes of upcoming matches involving Australia and New Zealand hold great significance for the other participating teams. Defeats for New Zealand and Australia could potentially pave the way for Pakistan and Afghanistan to advance to the Super Four stage.
With 31 matches completed, South Africa holds the second position on the points table with 10 points, while New Zealand follows closely in third place with 8 points. Hosts India, unbeaten in the tournament, lead the standings with a commanding 12 points. The forthcoming clash between South Africa and New Zealand carries immense weight, as it has the potential to reshape the course of the competition and define the journey ahead for several teams.
New Zealand Squad: Tom Latham (c & wk), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Mark Chapman.
South Africa Squad: Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi, Reeza Hendricks, Kagiso Rabada, Andile Phehlukwayo, Lizaad Williams.
