Match prediction for South Africa vs New Zealand 2nd Semi-final in Lahore.
The second semi-final of the Champions Trophy 2025 will witness South Africa and New Zealand squaring off on Wednesday, March 5. The match will take place at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, with the action set to begin at 2:30 PM IST.
Check out our analysis for the SA vs NZ match with the top betting tips and predictions.
Here are some of the best bets for this South Africa vs New Zealand match.
Heinrich Klaasen has had four scores of over 80 and a 64 in the last five ODIs. Since 2023, Klaasen averages 54 and strikes at 136 in the fifty-over format.
South Africa have a destructive batting unit with the likes of Heinrich Klaasen, Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, and David Miller. Lahore is a very good venue for batting and that should help the Proteas.
Mitch Santner is one of the best spinners in the world and is a handy batter down the order. Against a side with only two left-hand batters, he could be a big threat. He picked 1 for 41 in the last game and scored 28 runs.
Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore is known to be a batting-friendly venue with the pitches offering little to no help for bowlers. The venue has hosted five ODIs this year, with the average first innings score reading 316. Expect a high-scoring match here as both teams have strong batting units.
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South Africa hold the advantage in the head-to-head record between these sides in fifty-over cricket. They have faced each other 73 times in ODI cricket, with the Proteas claiming 42 games and New Zealand winning 26 times. In the last five encounters, SA lead the scoreline by 3-2.
The Proteas men topped their group with wins over Afghanistan, England, and an abandoned match against Australia. In the previous game, they smashed England by seven wickets. Marco Jansen starred with the new ball, picking up three early wickets while Wiaan Mulder also claimed a three-for to bowl out the opponents for 179. Rassie van der Dussen (72* off 87) and Heinrich Klaasen (64 off 56) chased the target in under 30 overs. Temba Bavuma missed the last game due to illness but should be back for this match.
Possible XI: Temba Bavuma (c), Ryan Rickelton (wk), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.
The Black Caps lost their final group fixture against India but had already secured a semifinal spot with victories over Pakistan and Bangladesh. They were outplayed in the last game on a tricky pitch in Dubai. Bowlers, led by Matt Henry’s five-for, did a solid job to restrict India to 249. Chasing the target, Kane Williamson made 81 but none of the other batters could occupy the crease long enough.
Possible XI: Will Young, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, William O’Rourke.
Check out the details of where to watch the South Africa vs New Zealand Champions Trophy 2025 match.
Lahore offers good pitches for batting and it generally gets easier to bat under lights. Dew can also be a factor, making chasing a better option. Expect the toss winner to opt to field first here.
Take a look at the weather forecast, key matchup and favourites to get a better picture of the match.
The weather in Lahore is expected to be sunny on Wednesday afternoons and should remain clear in the evening. There is no forecast for rain and the humidity is likely to be around 47%. The temperature should range between 15 to 25 degrees Celsius, while wind gusts travel up to 42 kmph.
The bookmakers have named South Africa as favourites heading into this semi-final with a 57% chance of winning.
Heinrich Klaasen averages 53 and strikes at 124 against left-arm orthodox spin in fifty-over cricket. He will be up against Mitch Santner, who is one of the very best in the business. The battle between these two could be mouthwatering.
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