Auckland, March 23 (IANS) New Zealand and South Africa will look to entering their maiden final of the cricket World Cup when they meet each other in the first semi-final match at the Eden Park here on Tuesday.
Co-hosts New Zealand will play their seventh semi-final and they not only need to overcome the pressure of expectations but also a resilient South Africa. A.B. de Villers' men are eager not to suffer again the agonies of failing at the penultimate hurdle -- which they have done thrice already.
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum is wary of the pressure of playing in front of the home crowd.
"When you are going good, it is great to have the crowd on your side," McCullum said.
McCullum's home team has gone through the pool stage undefeated and opener Martin Guptill's unbeaten 237 overwhelmed the West Indies by 143 runs in the quarter-final. But come Tuesday, he knows there is no room for error against the Proteas.
"The way the team dealt with the pressures of the last game that should hold us in reasonable stead. I have found that being too stressed out doesn’t help you much.
"I might as well just relax and look forward to the opportunity to go out there and represent my country on a big stage. It is what you play the game for," McCullum said.
So far in this World Cup, New Zealand have been spot on - be it with the bat or the ball - with each and every player stepping up when the situation demanded.
McCullum and Guptill have provided good starts and when they failed, vice-captain Kane Williamson and experienced middle-order batsmen Ross Taylor and Grant Elliot have consolidated the team's batting.
Young all-rounder Corey Anderson and wicketkeeper-batsman Luke Ronchi have also been crucial in their dual roles.
The Kiwis' bowling trio of Tim Southee, Trent Boult and left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori, 36, have been key to the success of the New Zealanders, collectively managing 49 wickets from seven matches. Injured pacer Adam Milne has been replaced by fast bowler Matt Henry.
Former captain Vettori, with experience of 293 ODIs, is still New Zealand's go-to-man in tough conditions.
Captain McCullum will once again bank heavily on these three bowlers when his side takes on the Proteas that has a strong batting line-up. Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis, skipper de Villiers, Jean-Paul Duminy and David Miller have the abilities to milk any bowling outfit on their day.
If the hosts prefer a greenish pitch that can suit their opening bowlers Southee and Boult, South Africa will also look to give New Zealand the taste of their own medicine.
Led by right-armer Dale Steyn, South Africa have the options of fielding four right-arm seamers in Steyn, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander and Kyle Abbot. The Proteas pacers are capable of extracting swing, pace and bounce and can be fearsome on a responsive Eden Park pitch.
South Africa won four matches in the pool stage and humbled 1996 World Cup winners Sri Lanka with a seven-wicket victory in the quarter-finals.
Their only concern was the poor form of young opening batsman Quinton de Kock. The left-handed wicketkeeper scored an unbeaten fifty during the last eight contest to relieve the Proteas' worry.
"I believe that if we play to our full potential then nobody is going to stop us in this tournament," de Villiers asserted at the pre-match press conference on Monday.
However, New Zealand will test South Africa's batting that has been traditionally fragile while chasing targets, particularly in big matches.
Moreover, the hosts will take confidence from the fact that they have defeated the African unit in all the last three meetings at the World Cup.
"There has been a lot of emphasis on our past and South Africa not doing well at World Cups. We don't mind that too much. Honestly I'm not putting emphasis on that at this World Cup at all," de Villiers said.
Mahakumbh 2025: Every devotee spent an average of 45 minutes at the bathing ghats of Sangam, revealed by the RF wrist band
The data collected through radio-frequency wristbands revealed that each devotee visiting Prayagraj Mahakumbh spent an average of 45 minutes on the bathing ghat. The data was also used to count the
Rashtrapati Bhavan: 17 years, 29 thousand artisans and 340 rooms of the luxurious house know the story of Rashtrapati Bhavan
Today we will tell you a story. This story of barely three minutes will take you through a few pages of Indian history. This is the story of Rashtrapati Bhavan situated on the Raisina hills of Delhi.
Uniform Civil Code: PM Modi raised the issue of UCC, then the opposition became aggressive, DMK said – first apply to Hindus
The Law Commission has sought views from common people and religious political organizations regarding the Uniform Civil Code. Meanwhile, politics has heated up across the country after Prime Minister
Nayanthara: The name of Nayanthara's new film is out, the teaser shows a powerful action-packed style
Nayanthara is in the news these days for her documentary Nayanthara Beyond the Fairytale. She is also in the news due to the controversy with actor Dhanush over copyright issues. Meanwhile, her new
Lady Al-Qaeda: Imran Khan has promised the release of the terrorist who had taken innocent people hostage to rescue them
In Texas, USA, a Pakistani-origin youth took four people, hostage, in a Jewish shrine and tried his best to get the neuroscientist Afia Siddiqui released by the name of Lady Al Qaeda. However, this
Agreement: Abu Dhabi company to make a big investment in three companies of Adani group, know where it will be used
This year is full of gifts for Gautam Adani, a veteran Indian industrialist and one of the world's top billionaires. In terms of earnings, he has also left behind Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mukesh
As Case Count Crosses 5000, Govt Plans Big Testing Push In Make-Or-Break Week
तीन सप्ताह के लॉकडाउन के अंतिम सप्ताह के शुरू होते ही, संकेत मिलते हैं कि कुछ
Ayodhya Ram Mandir: Ramlala's Aarti will be performed six times a day, passes will be issued; Ashtyam service will be held all eight hours of the day
After the consecration of Ramlala, there is going to be a change in his worship and aarti. The entire method has been systematized. Now Ashtyam Seva of Ramlala will be held all eight hours of 24
Exclusive: Corona infected three times, yet antibodies were not made, five cases were reported in Agra
In the first and second waves of the coronavirus in Agra, five such cases were found, which were infected with corona thrice. Antibodies have not been made after getting three of these tested, two
Trailer of Corona showing havoc in March, Virus may cause virus in April, know how terrible the second wave is
The pace of the second wave of Corona in the country is extremely fast. The Corona growth rate in March has surpassed the previous year's record. In March, Corona has shown a glimpse of its pace and
