Cricket Match Prediction | New Zealand vs South Africa | 2nd ODI | Feb 10 – Can NZ make it to the final?

NZ vs RSA Match Analysis

New Zealand and South Africa will play each other in the 2nd match of the Pakistan ODI Tri-Series, on February 10, 2025, at 10:30 AM BST at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

New Zealand’s Kane Williamson (58), Daryl Mitchell (81), and Glenn Phillips (106*) delivered impressive performances in the first match, leading their team to a 78-run victory over Pakistan.

South Africa, with the largest squad among the three teams, may not have its strongest XI available. However, given its strong white-ball cricket prowess, it should be able to stay competitive against New Zealand throughout the match.

NZ vs RSA Team Preview & Squads

New Zealand

New Zealand is unlikely to make any changes to the side that secured a 78-run victory over Pakistan on Saturday, despite this tri-nation series being designed to help all three teams peak ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy later this month.

Glenn Phillips was the standout performer, smashing an unbeaten century and showcasing his immense power. We expect him to maintain the same aggressive approach in this match of NZ. Wicketkeeper-batter Tom Latham was dismissed for a three-ball duck, but his place in the XI remains secure given his proven quality.

Matt Henry had another impressive outing with the ball, reinforcing his reputation as one of the most consistent bowlers in world cricket. Captain Mitchell Santner also delivered a strong performance and should be effective again on this pitch.

New Zealand Squads

New Zealand

Glenn Phillips, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Kane Williamson, Will O’Rourke, Michael Bracewell, Tom Latham, Nathan Smith, Ben Sears, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Matt Henry, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner.

South Africa

South Africa will be unable to field their strongest XI for this game, with the SA20 only recently concluding and injuries ruling out both Anrich Nortje and Gerald Coetzee. Their biggest concern lies in the pace bowling attack, but this also presents an opportunity for players like Junior Dala or Gideon Peters to stake a claim for a spot, especially when Kagiso Rabada returns to the squad.

In the batting lineup of RSA, Matthew Breetzke is a talented white-ball top-order batter who is expected to take an aggressive approach from the very first delivery. Meanwhile, keeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen is likely to be deployed in a floating role, with the team management aiming for him to enter the crease around the 30th over.

South Africa Squads

South Africa

Temba Bavuma, Matthew Breetzke, Heinrich Klaasen, Jason Smith, Kyle Verreynne, Mihlali Mpongwana, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Eathan Bosch, Junior Dala, Keshav Maharaj, Gideon Peters, Gerald Coetzee.

New Zealand vs South Africa outfield report

Gaddafi Stadium Lahore

We believe that both captains will head out for the toss seeking to bat first because New Zealand demonstrated the value of scoring and then successfully defended it on Saturday. The game on Saturday will have slightly different temps. It may be as cold as 15 degrees at the time of the throw, but two hours later, it will be at least 10 degrees warmer!

A good place to bat is the Gaddafi Stadium. We anticipate a par score to be between 320 and 340 since batters enjoy the ball’s pace and can rely on the pitch’s bounce.

New Zealand vs South Africa Head-to-Head Stats of Last 5 Matches

In their last five encounters, NZ has won 2 and RSA has won 3.

New Zealand vs South Africa Prediction 

Cricket analysts predict New Zealand has a 68% chance of winning.

Disclaimer: This cricket prediction is based on the author’s insights and analysis. Readers should consider the points discussed and draw their own conclusions.