Who: South Africa vs New Zealand
Content: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Semi-Finals
Date and time: Wednesday 4 March 7pm (13:30 GMT)
Location: Eden Gardens, Kolkata, India
How to follow: Al Jazeera’s live coverage begins at 10:00 GMT.
South Africa’s hot form and mental fortitude will be put to the test in the first semi-final of the T20 World Cup when they face a menacing New Zealand side on Wednesday.
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Aiden Markram’s side, the only unbeaten team in the tournament, will aim to win the knockout match and bury the ghost of their previous failed attempts to lift the Men’s World Cup trophy.
Standing in their way are 11 all-round batsmen led by Mitchell Santner, blistering fast bowlers and the most eye-catching fielding team in the tournament.
The famous Eden Gardens, known as the home of Indian cricket, will host a showdown between two teams from the southern hemisphere.
What are South Africa’s strengths and weaknesses?
batting
South Africa boasts a strong batting lineup led by Markram. The captain has scored 268 points in seven games, while Ryan Rickelton has 228 points.
David Miller’s midfield heroics get his team out of trouble, while Quinton de Kock often gets off to a great start as an opener.
Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs and their pace bowlers can all clear the boundaries at the bottom of the order.
bowling
Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi took 12 wickets, squeezing out runs while deceiving some of the best players with his seemingly slow off-cutters.
Keshav Maharaj not only ties up batsmen with his left-arm spin but can also pick up important wickets, as he showed against India.
nightmare of past failures
On the field, South Africa are the strongest team, but they carry the scars of past failures in their attempts to lift trophies.
The Proteas notoriously failed at the final hurdle, both recently against Barbados in 2024 and in the 2023 World Cup semi-final, where they were eliminated after 50 overs.
What are New Zealand’s strengths and weaknesses?
all-round talent
New Zealand is truly a collection of all its parts, and most of those parts are important cogs in an all-round machine.
From skipper and top-spinner Mitchell Santner to all-round batsmen Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra, the team thrives on the talents of its multi-skilled team members.
Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy provide plenty of pace options, while Ish Sodhi’s leg spin helps keep the game tight.
fielding
The Blackcaps are arguably the best defense in the tournament, and their acrobatic efforts are often the highlight of the match. Phillips has a reputation for pulling off the most difficult catches.
low level gaffe
Despite packing an eleven full of all-rounders, New Zealand failed to finish the innings with several big performances. They are the only team in the top four to lose two games in the tournament.
How did South Africa perform in the T20 World Cup?
South Africa opened the tournament with a 57-run win against Canada, but needed two super overs to seal victory against Afghanistan in the second match.
They then defeated their semi-final opponents New Zealand by seven wickets to seal their place in the Super Eights with one game to spare, before finishing the group with a six-wicket win over the UAE.
Markram’s team dominated defending champions India in Ahmedabad by 76 runs at the world’s largest cricket stadium. They then recorded a stunning nine-wicket win over West Indies and ended their Super Eights record with a five-wicket loss to Zimbabwe.
How did New Zealand perform in the T20 World Cup?
New Zealand started the season with a comfortable five-wicket victory over Afghanistan, who were unable to contain the Kiwis’ batting power. Their second match was a Finn Allen and Tim Seifert show as they crushed the United Arab Emirates, chasing 175 wickets, by 10 wickets.
Santner’s side were unable to contain the Proteas chasing 176 and ultimately lost by seven wickets, resulting in their first defeat to South Africa. They finished the group stage with an easy eight-wicket win over Canada.
The first Super Eight match against Pakistan ended in a defeat. The second game was against co-hosts Sri Lanka, and New Zealand secured a vital two points and a healthy net run rate to secure their place in the semi-finals.
England came back late to beat New Zealand in the final match of the Super Eights, but Pakistan were unable to sustain a crushing defeat against Sri Lanka, and the Black Caps’ place in the finals was confirmed.
What was South Africa’s best result in the T20 World Cup?
Runner-up: 2024
What was New Zealand’s best performance in the T20 World Cup?
Runner-up: 2021
Form Guide: South Africa
The Proteas are the team to win every game and win the tournament. Their last defeat in a T20 match was a bilateral series win against West Indies (2-1) in January.
Last 5 matches (latest results first): WWWWW
Form Guide: New Zealand
New Zealand’s form has been mixed, with wins followed by losses in both stages of the World Cup. They also suffered a 4-1 series loss against India before the tournament.
Last 5 matches (latest results first): LW NR WW
South Africa vs New Zealand: Head to head
South Africa will play New Zealand in the T20 and have the upper hand with 12 wins from 19 matches. New Zealand won the remaining seven countries.
Team News: South Africa
The Proteas made adjustments to their squad for their final Super Eight match against Zimbabwe, resting pace bowlers Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada. Both players will need to return to the team for the finals.
Prediction XI: Aiden Markram (captain), Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Janssen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi
Team News: New Zealand
The Black Caps are likely to make one change to the eleven they lost in their last match against England in the Super Eights. Jacob Duffy could return to the side in place of Cole McConchie.
Expected 11: Tim Seifert (wicketkeeper), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Darryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner (captain), Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy.
How can I follow and stream the South Africa vs New Zealand semi-final?
Al Jazeera Sports will provide comprehensive live coverage of the final. Our preparations begin at 10:00 GMT, followed by photo coverage and a text commentary stream.
