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South Africa take on New Zealand in Pune (Twitter)
The battle for the semifinals intensifies as South Africa and New Zealand lock horns in a riveting clash of the ICC World Cup 2023 in Pune on Wednesday (November 1). The BlackCaps and the Proteas strive to outperform each other in a match-up where a victory could help them consolidate a position in the top bracket of the points table and progress through.
Both the teams rest comfortably at this point within the top 3 of the standings despite contrasting results in their respective previous matches. While the South Africans jumped up to second position with their close-fought victory over Pakistan, the Kiwis fell one spot lower after their five-run loss to arch-rivals Australia, who are now placed fourth.
A victory for either side would keep them close to numero uno India and allow them to hold a safe spot away from the expected chaos for the fourth spot in the ten-team competition. Before we get there, however, here's OneCricket bringing to you head-to-head results for New Zealand and South Africa in One-Day Internationals history.
New Zealand vs South Africa Head-to-Head in ODIs
New Zealand have found it hard to withstand the mighty South Africans in One-Day International history, losing 41 of the two teams' 71 encounters in the 50-over format since Proteas' return to the highest level after the apartheid. The Kiwis have won just 25 times and have the history staked against them in Pune.
| Matches | 71 |
|---|---|
| New Zealand won | 25 |
| South Africa won | 41 |
New Zealand vs South Africa Head-to-Head in ODI World Cups
In the World Cups, however, it has been an entirely different story. The Kiwis have dominated the rivalry at the quadrennial event, reinforcing their status as the perennial darkhorses of world cricket. The BlackCaps have clinched a World Cup win over South Africa on six of the eight times they've collided with their more-fancied opposition, losing twice.
| Matches | 8 |
|---|---|
| New Zealand won | 6 |
| South Africa won | 2 |
New Zealand vs South Africa Head-to-Head in India
The only time New Zealand took on South Africa in a One-Day International on Indian shores they pulled off a famous triumph in the 2006 edition of the Champions Trophy. The BlackCaps defeated the Proteas at the historic Brabourne Stadium by a margin of 87 runs.
| Matches | 1 |
|---|---|
| New Zealand won | 1 |
| South Africa won | 0 |
 "Kashish Chadha")
