World Cup 2023, Match 32 | New Zealand Predicted XI vs South Africa

image-loe1iuw3New Zealand will be playing against South Africa in the 32nd Match of the World Cup 2023 (Source: AP Photos)

New Zealand will square off against South Africa in match 32 of the ongoing 2033 World Cup. The Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune will be staging the event and is slated to begin at 2:00 PM IST.

South Africa have been brilliant in the bonanza event thus far and has earned five wins from six matches, standing at the second position with ten points. Their only loss came against the Netherlands who beat the Proteas for the second time within 365 days.  They have come on the top against teams such as Sri Lanka, Australia, England, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

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Meanwhile, New Zealand are positioned just below their forthcoming opponent. They have played six matches and won four of them, thereby having eight points in their bucket. The Kiwis initiated the tournament with four back-to-back triumphs but incurred a couple of setbacks in their latest games against India and Australia. 

This is a clash of the heavyweights and it will be seen who comes out on top. Now, let us have a quick look at New Zealand's predicted XI against South Africa.


Openers: Will Young and Devon Conway.

New Zealand are going to form the same opening pair of Will Young and Devon Conway for their upcoming clash against South Africa. The two got starts in their latest encounter but failed to convert it against Australia.

Young and Conway also brings the right and left hand combination at the top of the batting order that does not allow the opposition bowlers to settle easily. Both batters have had certain valuable contributions in the tournament with the southpaw scoring a 150 at the curtain raiser against England in Ahmedabad.


Middle Order: Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham

Daryl Mitchell and Tom Latham constitute an indispensable part of the New Zealand middle order. The former has been in superlative form with the bat. He scored a ton against India and followed it with a fifty against Australia. Unfortunately for Mitchell, the brilliant numbers came on a losing cause despite scoring against top teams.

Latham has underperformed with respect to his ability. He is a terrific batter of both pace and spin, and had a great record in Indian conditions prior to the mega-event. But after leading the side in the absence of Kane Williamson, Latham's batting is something that has got rusty.


All-rounders: Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner.

The Black Caps have an array of all-rounders in their set-up. They are not just three dimensional athletes but are performers in each of the department. Rachin Ravindra is living one of his dreams with the willow in hand. Having racked up 406 runs from six innings, Ravindra is the leading run-getter for the Kiwis in the tournament.

Glenn Phillips is the man with the golden arm. Whenever the regular bowlers of New Zealand fail to get breakthrough, Phillips turns up with some finger spin and does the trick. Such was the case against teams such as England and Australia in the coveted World Championship. Not to forget, his primary role is with the bat and he has displayed some impactful knocks.

Jimmy Neesham and Mitchell Santner are one of the oldest members of this crew. Neesham made a comeback in the last game replacing Mark Chapman. He scored a brilliant fifty and gave a tough fight with the bat till the end. Santner is the leading wicket-taker for the Kiwis with 14 dismissals from six innings.


Bowlers: Trent Boult, Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson

The left-arm quick, Tent Boult is a big match player and can turn the tide on any day in any circumstances. He is a key asset for the team and will pair with Matt Henry with the new ball. The right-arm pacer has the knack for wickets and has done well with the ball so far. Another such candidate who outshone with the cork is Lockie Ferguson. In a tournament where most of the speedsters went for runs, Ferguson has great control and pocketed eight wickets from five innings that includes two three-fers.


New Zealand Predicted XI against South Africa

Will Young, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (c/wk), Glenn Phillips, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Trent Boult, and Lockie Ferguson.