The veteran pacer Wagner did a shush celebration by putting his finger to his lips in after dismissing batter Zubayr Hamza on day three of the Hamilton Test. He was also spotted raising his middle finger after earlier taking a catch.

New Zealand captain Tim Southee while speaking in the post-match press conference stated that Neil Wagner is a very passionate man and just tries to put his energy in the right place. Southee revealed that he didn’t know what was the gesture about but added that Wagner is a very passionate guy.

Tim Southee unaware about Neil Wagner’s dark gestures

Tim Southee said, “Obviously Neil’s a very passionate man – we all love him to bits and what he brings to the side. Just trying to channel his energy into the right place. He was probably a bit frustrated it took so long to come to the bowling crease … just making sure to channel his energy into what we needed at the time. He came on and took that wicket and that was a big part of the game as well. I don’t know what that shush was about. But we know Neil’s a very passionate guy, he wears his heart on his sleeve.”

New Zealand head coach Gary Stead was also asked about Neil Wagner’s dark gestures. Stead also stated that he didn’t know to whom were the gestures pointed but added that Wagner is a passionate guy and he has not asked him about it.

He said, “I haven’t asked Neil around it. I think he’s a passionate guy that wears his heart on his sleeve. I don’t know who it was at, or what it was for, so I can’t comment further.”

Neil Wagner wasn’t able to make his place in the first Test match played at Bay Oval but picked up a two-wicket haul in Hamilton. He is also part of the upcoming Test series against Australia.

After facing a humiliating defeat in the 1st Test, the visitors were well ahead in the second Test against New Zealand until Day 3. The Blackcaps made a brilliant comeback, and put up a decent bowling display in South Africa’s second innings. The Kiwis were set up a target of 267 runs to chase down in the second innings. The hosts were able to achieve the target with ease and also recorded their first-ever Test series win against South Africa.

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Mike Procter has played seven Test matches in his career, all of which came against Australia. He was South Africa’s hero during the 4-0 whitewash of Australia in 1969-70. He has taken 41 wickets in Test cricket at an impressive average of 15.02 and also scored key runs during the Test series against Australia. Mike Procter was South Africa’s coach in 1992 and under his guidance, South Africa reached the semi-finals of the World Cup that year. He also served as an ICC match referee from 2002 to 2008 and then he went on to become South Africa’s convener of selectors

Mike Procter was involved in some controversies during his tenure as an ICC match referee. He was the referee at the Oval in 2006 when the umpires penalized Pakistan players for ball tampering. Procter banned Harbhajan Singh for three matches in Sydney in 2008 on charges of racism. The decision was overturned later and he stepped down from the post in 2008 to become South Africa’s convener of selectors.

Mike Procter did not play much international cricket because of South Africa’s sporting isolation in the 1970s and 1980s. When they returned in 1992, he was appointed as the coach of the side and the Proteas went on to qualify for the World Cup semi-finals in their first-ever appearance in the tournament. However, his county records are brilliant and he served Gloucestershire for around 13 years.

Mike Procter was also known as Proctershire

Mike Procter was fondly nicknamed Proctershire by the fans as his best performances mostly came for the county side. Gloucestershire was struggling in 1969 but with the arrival of Mike Procter, they finished second as he took over 100 wickets. He has also had a terrific record with the bat as he scored six consecutive centuries for Rhodesia in 1970 and also four centuries for Gloucestershire in the same season. Procter took two hat-tricks in two games for the side in 1979 and led the side between 1977 to 1981.

Under his leadership, Gloucestershire won the Benson & Hedges Cup in 1977. Mike Procter was born on September 15, 1946, in Durban. He has played over 400 games in First-Class cricket and has amassed 21,936 runs at an average of 36.01 which includes 48 centuries and 109 half-centuries. Mike Procter had also taken 1417 wickets in First-class cricket at an average of 19.53 and his stats show his prowess in cricket. If not for the ban imposed on South Africa, he would’ve been a legend of the game in international cricket also.

Mike Procter was a great human being and a great cricketer. The cricketing fraternity will miss his presence and it has been indeed a great loss for South Africa as they lose their first coach in the ODI World Cup.

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The fresh injury now means that he will not undergo surgery but instead will opt to rehab and rest to give the injury the best chance to heal and recover. Jamieson said while the news had been tough to take, his determination to return to play hadn’t wavered.

Last Few Days Have Been Challenging: Kyle Jamieson

“The last few days have been some of my most challenging but I am hugely grateful for the support I’ve received from my partner, family, teammates, support staff and medical professionals. I know injuries are part of life as a cricketer and at my age I am hopeful I still have many more playing days ahead of me” Jamieson said in a statement.

Jamieson has been struggling with back issues for the last two years. He first got injured in June 2022 but then came back at home in a series against England. However, a recurrence of the injury meant that he had to undergo surgery that kept him out of the game for months. The Kiwi pacer also missed the ICC 2023 World Cup in India due to a back injury as well. Despite returning fit, the fresh injury to Kyle Jamieson might not seem him back in the field in 2024.

“We’ve all seen how much work Kyle has put into returning to international cricket and for him to have a setback like this is tough news to get. On the positive side we know how determined he is to keep playing cricket for New Zealand and we will be fully behind him on the rehabilitation road ahead. His resolve is undiminished,” New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said.

Also Read: Revealed: Why India players are wearing black armbands on day 3 of Rajkot Test against England

New Zealand won the Test series 2-0 against England and reclaimed the number one spot in the WTC 2023-25 points table. The Kiwis now have won three out of the four Test matches they have played in the new WTC cycle. They lead the table with a PCT of 75.0. Australia are placed second with 55.0, while India is third with 52.77 PCT.

The Kiwis won the first Test by 281 runs and the second test by seven wickets. Kane Williamson batted superbly in the series ending with 403 runs in the two matches at an average of 134.33. Rachin Ravindra scored 301 runs in the series followed by South Africa’s David Bedingham scoring 268 runs in two matches.

Tim Southee the New Zealand skipper was a happy captain after his bowlers were able to take 20 wickets on a good batting wicket in the two Test matches. Williamson was chosen as the Player of the series after he scored a mountain of runs. This was also the first time that New Zealand won a Test series against South Africa. This was also just the seventh Test win for the Kiwis against the Proteas in 49 Test matches.

Also Read: Madness, says Michael Vaughan as he reacts to Mohammad Hafeez’s sacking as Pakistan’s team director

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The Tim Southee-led team pulled off a record chase in the fourth innings at Seddon Park in Hamilton. The hosts successfully chased down a 267-run target on Day 4, sealing a 2-0 series sweep. New Zealand took 18 attempts for their first series victory over the Proteas.

Kane Williamson Guides New Zealand To Their First Test Series vs South Africa

The home team began the fourth day’s play at 40 for 1, with Tom Latham and Kane Williamson at the crease. However, they faced an early setback as Dane Piedt dismissed Tom Latham. The left-handed batter scored 30 runs off 57 deliveries, including five boundaries.

However, Rachin Ravindra and Williamson stood firm for a brief period to ensure New Zealand didn’t collapse under pressure. The duo added a 64-run partnership for the third wicket. Piedt struck again and sent back Rachin Ravindra, restricting the opposition to 117/3.

Williamson and Will Young forged an unbroken 152-run partnership for the fourth wicket during the run chase. The former New Zealand skipper reached his 32nd century in Test cricket. The No. 3 batter also recorded his third century out of four innings in the red-ball series.

Kane Williamson scored an unbeaten 133 runs off 260 balls with the help of 12 boundaries and two sixes. Will Young, who played a supporting role, remained unbeaten on 60 runs off 134 deliveries. Kane scored the match-winning runs to create history in Hamilton.

Young New Zealand seamer Will O’Rourke secured a nine-wicket haul in his debut Test match. His standout performance earned him the Player of the Match award. Williamson was recognized with the series award for his outstanding contribution of 403 runs.

For The First Couple Of Days, South Africa Outplayed Us – Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson credited South Africa for their strong performance in the first two days, acknowledging that they outplayed New Zealand. He emphasized the importance of building partnerships and fighting to change momentum.

“Coming into today on a wearing surface we knew we were going to have to string partnerships together. Credit to South Africa. Certainly for the first couple of days they outplayed us I thought. We had to fight hard to get out of that position and change momentum and with the partnerships and seeing off the new ball were able to give ourselves the chance,” Williamson said.

The inexperienced South African team bowled out the New Zealand team for just 211 runs in the first innings. Kane Williamson top-scored for the home team, scoring 43 runs. The visitors took a valuable 31-run lead as off-spinner Dane Piedt claimed five wickets.

Also read: NZ vs SA Scorecard, 2nd Test Highlights 2024: Kane Williamson, Will O’Rourke guide New Zealand to their first Test series win vs South Africa

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Kane Williamson has 32 centuries and 33 half-centuries in Test cricket and is currently the No.1 batter in Test cricket as per ICC rankings. In the first Test against South Africa, he scored a century in both of the innings to help New Zealand win the first Test by a huge margin. Williamson made his Test debut in 2010 against India and as of now, he has played 98 Test matches amassing 8666 runs in 172 innings at an average of 55.91. Kane Williamson has a sensational record in Test cricket for New Zealand.

Kane Williamson has a better home record than away but that in no way means he is not good in away conditions. He is one of the few non-Asian players with the ability to play well against spin which makes him very effective in sub-continent. Kane has smashed 15 half-centuries and 13 centuries away from home whereas he has scored 18 half-centuries and 18 centuries in home conditions. He is one of the best players that New Zealand have produced in decades and he is the leading run-getter for the Kiwis in Test cricket.

Kane Williamson led the New Zealand team to the World Test Championship title in 2021 where they defeated India in the finals. He has a great record in Test cricket for New Zealand and is considered the greatest batter to be produced on the Kiwi soil. He reached his century in the second innings after facing 203 deliveries and remained unbeaten at 133 finishing the chase with Will Young who remained unbeaten on 60.

Watch- Kane Williamson reaches another milestone as he scores his 32nd century in Test cricket

Kane Williamson has reached his 32nd Test Century! With 172 innings, that is the fewest innings to reach 32 test 100's in test history, beating Steve Smith. @BLACKCAPS v South Africa: 2nd Test | LIVE on DUKE and TVNZ+ pic.twitter.com/pSg5VFP2nS

— TVNZ+ (@TVNZ) February 16, 2024

New Zealand will now host their trans-Tasmanian rivals Australia for three T20Is and two Test matches with the T20Is commencing on February 21, Wednesday at the Sky Stadium in Wellington. Kane Williamson is likely to lead the New Zealand side in the T20I series whereas Tim Southee will be the skipper in the Test series. Australia drew their series against West Indies 1-1 but they won the ODI and T20I series against them.

Kane Williamson will be hoping to be at his best in terms of both batting and fitness as his injury issues have been a big concern for New Zealand team management. He is the key player for the Blackcaps in almost every format and has served New Zealand for more than a decade going strong as always. He has the most number of Test centuries amongst Fab 4 and he has taken only 172 innings to reach 34 centuries.

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Kane Williamson scored his seventh century in as many Tests to take his team home. Chasing 267, New Zealand made a poor start with the bat as both of their openers – Devon Conway (17) and Tom Latham (30) – departed cheaply to leave their team reeling at 53 for 2.

The former New Zealand skipper and Rachin Ravindra steadied the ship and took the score past the 100-run mark by adding 64 runs for the third wicket. Dane Piedt broke the stand by sending back Ravindra for 20. It was followed by an unbeaten stand of 152 runs between Kane Williamson and Will Young.

The veteran batsman went on to score his 32nd century in Tests and remained unbeaten on 133. His knock came off 260 balls and contained 12 fours and 2 sixes. On the other hand, Young scored 60 runs off 134 balls with the help of 8 fours.

Kane Williamson is only behind Don Bradman:

Kane Williamson is now only behind the legendary Don Bradman in terms of best average in a winning cause in Tests. Bradman, who is widely regarded as the best batsman of all time, has the best average in Test wins (minimum 15 wins). The former Australia cricketer had a staggering average of 130.08 in Test wins. He is the only player with an average of more than 100 in winning Tests.

Kane Williamson has moved to the second spot in the list and is now the only other player apart from Bradman to have an average of over 80 in Test wins. He currently has an average of 81.86 in Test wins. Former Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq is third in the list while former West Indies allrounder Garry Sobers is fourth.

Highest averages in test wins (min 15 wins)
130.08 Don Bradman
81.86 Kane Williamson
78.16 Inzamam-ul-Haq
77.42 Garry Sobers#NZvSA

— Francis Payne (@FPayne100) February 16, 2024

Williamson now has 32 centuries in Tests which is the most by an active player. Australia star Steve Smith has also 32 Test centuries. Williamson is also the fastest to 32 Test tons, reaching the milestone in 172 innings.

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The Black Caps completed the run chase in the fourth innings of the match at Seddon Park in Hamilton. The home team clinched their first-ever Test series victory against the Proteas. Notably, the Kiwis registered a 281-run victory during the series opener.

Young New Zealand seamer Will O’Rourke was named Player of the Match for his brilliant bowling display in both innings. O’Rourke recorded nine wickets in his maiden Test appearance, including his first five-wicket haul in the second innings of the recent match.

Will O’Rourke Takes Four Wickets In First Innings

The South African team managed to score just 242 runs after opting to bat first. Matt Henry provided an early breakthrough for the Black Caps, dismissing opener Clyde Fortuin for a duck. Skipper Neil Brand scored 25 runs before being dismissed by Will O’Rourke.

Raynard van Tonder (32), Zubayr Hamza (20), and David Bedingham (39) got off to decent starts but failed to convert them into big scores, resulting in a collapse to 150/6. However, Ruan de Swardt (64) and Shaun von Berg (38) added 77 runs for the seventh wicket.

Will O’Rourke, who replaced Kyle Jamieson in the playing XI, ended with figures of 4/59. He dismissed Neil Brand, Shaun von Berg, Ruan de Swardt, and Dane Paterson. O’Rourke also picked up two wickets off consecutive deliveries to bowl out the opposition team.

Dane Piedt Bags Five Wicket Haul In First Innings

Off-spinner Dane Piedt claimed five wickets in the first innings to bowl out the New Zealand team for just 211 runs. Kane Williamson scored 43 runs before being dismissed by Dane Piedt. New Zealand collapsed from 145/3, conceding a 31-run lead to the Proteas.

David Bedingham Scores Memorable Test Hundred

During the second innings, the visiting team lost three wickets for just 39 runs. David Bedingham steadied the innings with a 98-run partnership with Keegan Petersen for the fifth wicket. Bedingham scored a memorable hundred, reaching 110 runs off 141 deliveries.

Matt Henry broke the partnership by removing Keegan Petersen, who scored 43 runs. The Proteas collapsed from 213-5 to a total of 235 all out. Will O’Rourke was instrumental in this collapse, claiming five wickets for 89 runs in the second innings in nearly 33 overs.

Kane Williamson Smashes 32nd Hundred In Test Cricket

New Zealand suffered an early setback with the dismissal of Devon Conway on Day 3. Tom Latham was dismissed for 30 runs, leaving the home team at 53-2. Kane Williamson added a critical 64-run partnership with Rachin Ravindra for the third wicket in the chase.

Kane Williamson anchored the run chase and reached his 32nd hundred in Test cricket. He remained unbeaten on 133 runs off 260 balls with the help of 12 deliveries and two sixes. He added a 152-run partnership with Will Young, who scored 60 runs off 134 balls.

Brief Scores:

South Africa 242 ( Ruan de Swardt 64, Will O’Rourke 4-59)

New Zealand 211 (Kane Williamson 43, Dane  Piedt 5-89)

Also read: Kane Williamson equals Younis Khan’s record for centuries in fourth-innings during the 2nd Test vs South Africa

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Kane Williamson showcased exceptional form in New Zealand’s pursuit of 267 runs on a challenging Seddon Park pitch in Hamilton. The right-handed batter single-handedly shifted momentum in favor of the hosts to secure the Test victory against the Proteas.

Also Read: Sarfaraz Khan’s father Naushad Khan reacts to Ravindra Jadeja running out the debutant

Kane Williamson Equals Younis Khan’s Record During Second Test

Williamson anchored the innings during the run chase and achieved his century in 203 balls during the final session of Day 4. As the former captain reached his hundred, no other batsman managed to surpass the 30-run mark during New Zealand’s second innings.

https://x.com/TVNZ/status/1758334795682136122?s=20

The 33-year-old batter equaled former Pakistan cricketer Younis Khan’s (five) record for the most centuries in the fourth innings of a Test match. Graeme Smith, Sunil Gavaskar, Ricky Ponting, and Ramnaresh Sarwan each scored four centuries in the fourth innings.

Kane Williamson posed a significant challenge to South Africa throughout the series and notched his third century in four innings. The star batter scored twin hundreds in the first Test, making him one of only five New Zealand batters to achieve this feat in a single match.

Williamson showcased resilience in the first innings, scoring a gritty 43 runs before being dismissed by off-spinner Dane Piedt. However, he delivered a remarkable batting performance in the final innings. He became the fastest batter to reach 32 hundreds in Tests.

Kane received crucial support from Will Young, who stabilized the innings, to prevent a collapse similar to the first innings. The former New Zealand captain smashed the winning runs, guiding the team to their first Test series victory against the South African team.

The No. 3 batter scored an unbeaten 133 runs off 260 deliveries with the help of 12 deliveries and two sixes. Young remained unbeaten on 60 runs off 134 balls, including eight boundaries. The Kiwis completed the run chase with seven wickets in hand.

Also Read: Updated ICC WTC Points Table after NZ vs SA 2nd Test, World Test Championship Table and Rankings

Kane Williamson To Miss T20I Series Against Australia

Kane Williamson will be absent from the upcoming three-match T20I series against the Australian cricket team at home. The New Zealand white-ball captain opted out of the series to take paternity leave, with the star batter and his wife expecting their third child.

Mitchell Santner will lead the team in Williamson’s absence. All-rounder Daryll Mitchell has been sidelined due to a foot injury. Notably, Trent Boult makes a comeback to the New Zealand T20I squad after a 15-month hiatus, strengthening the Kiwi’s pace bowling attack.

Also read: David Bedingham wants his own teammates to learn from Kane Williamson after New Zealand humiliate South Africa

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Set a target of 267 runs, the hosts made a shaky start to their chase. They lost both of their openers – Devon Conway (17) and Tom Latham (30) – for just 53 runs before Williamson and Rachin Ravindra steadied the ship.

The duo added 64 runs for the second wicket and took their team’s score past the 100-run mark. Dane Piedt broke the stand by dismissing Ravindra for 20 to give his team the much-needed breakthrough. The visitors, however, could not capitalize on the breakthrough as Williamson and Will Young shared an unbeaten stand of 152 runs to take their team home.

Williamson remained unbeaten on 133 while Young scored 60. Earlier in the game, South Africa scored 242 runs in their first innings with Ruan de Swardt (64) scoring a half-century. In reply, New Zealand were bowled out for just 211. For South Africa, Piedt took five wickets for 89 runs. In the second innings, the tourists scored 235 runs with David Bedingham (110) scoring a century.

Also Read: Kane Williamson equals Younis Khan’s record for centuries in fourth-innings during the 2nd Test vs South Africa

Updated ICC WTC Points table after NZ vs SA 2nd Test:

Before the start of the second Test, New Zealand were at the top of the ICC WTC points table while South Africa were reeling at the seventh spot. New Zealand now have three wins from four games in the ongoing WTC cycle. They have a total of 36 points and a PCT of 75. On the other hand, South Africa have three losses in four games. They have accumulated 12 points so far and have a PCT of 25.

Also Read: Ishan Kishan in another controversy, likes Instagram post calling Mohammad Kaif ‘besharam’

Here is the updated ICC WTC points table:

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New Zealand and South Africa are facing each other in a two-match Test series where the BlackCaps are already leading the series 1-0 against the Proteas. South Africa announced a very inexperienced squad with Neil Brandt as the skipper for the series as the first-choice players were playing in the SA20 league.

The first Test was a one-sided affair where the BlackCaps won the game by 281 runs laying back on the 240 by Rachin Ravindra and two consecutive centuries by skipper Kane Williamson.

Glenn Phillips is considered one of the greatest fielders in today’s cricket and he has been extremely acrobatic and assertive while fielding.

The reflexes shown by Phillips in the field are something to be inspired from and he has shown a glimpse of his reflexes when he took Keegan Petersen’s catch during the second innings of South Africa. Keegan Petersen was playing on 43 and was set when he was caught by Glenn Phillips at Gully while playing a square cut off Matt Henry’s delivery.

Keegan Petersen was set on 43 when he played a square cut on a back-of-the-length delivery by Matt Henry which was pitched outside off with some width on offer.

Petersen cut the ball uppishly only for Glenn Phillips to pull off a blinder as he dived to his right and took a stunning one-handed catch to dismiss the South Africa batter who scored 43 off 79 deliveries which included six boundaries in the innings.

Also Read: Jay Shah takes a dig at Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer as he sends a strict warning to centrally contracted Indian players

Watch- Glenn Phillips takes a one-handed stunner to dismiss Keegan Petersen

An incredible catch by Glenn Phillips as he takes the wicket of Petersen @BLACKCAPS v South Africa: 2nd Test | LIVE on DUKE and TVNZ+ pic.twitter.com/zTOYDW3Bq7

— TVNZ+ (@TVNZ) February 15, 2024

South Africa was bowled out for 242 in the first innings and then they put up a brilliant performance with the ball getting New Zealand bundled for just 211 leading the game by 31 runs in the first innings.

The Proteas were then bowled out for 235 laying back on the century by David Bedingham. The BlackCaps ended the day on 40/1 and now need 227 runs to win the game against South Africa. Glenn Phillips’ catch was the highlight of the day.

The first Test was largely dominated by New Zealand batters as skipper Kane Williamson smashed centuries in both innings and Rachin Ravindra smashed a double century in the first innings powering the Kiwis to 511.

New Zealand will host Australia in a multi-format tour where the two teams will face each other in three T20Is and two Test matches. The three-match T20I series between the trans-Tasmanian rivals will commence on February 21, Wednesday at the Sky Stadium in Wellington.

Also Read: “I hope he stays humble..”- Virender Sehwag fires shots at Yashasvi Jaiswal

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Imran Tahir reached the incredible personal milestone in the best way possible as he racked up a man of the match winning a 5-wicket haul by giving away just 26 runs in his quota of 4 overs. He spun the web of his deceiving leg spin during the 2nd innings of the match when Khulna Tigers were attempting to chase down a mammoth target of 220.

Imran Tahir turns the game on its head with a stunning 5-wicket haul in BPL 2024! Unleashing magic on the field!
.
.#BPL2024 #BPLonFanCode pic.twitter.com/hus2yOWisq

— FanCode (@FanCode) February 13, 2024

On the back of his outstanding bowling performance, the Rangpur Riders clinched victory by 78 runs as the Tigers were bowled out for just 141 within 18.2 overs. With that win, the Riders claimed the top spot in the Bangladesh Premier League points table with 14 points and they are now just another victory away from reaching the play-off stages.

Rangpur Riders were playing on their home ground at Chattogram and had elected to bat first after winning the coin toss. Number 3 and 4 batters Shakib Al Hasan and Mahedi Hasan took the charge in the middle following a crumbling start given by Rony Talukdar and Reeza Hendricks. On the back of Shakib’s 69 and Mahedi’s 60 and short contributions from Nurul Hasan and Jimmy Neesham, the Riders posted 220 as the target to chase.

Their batting performances were supported by the bowling act of Imran Tahir who picked up terrific line lengths and also brought out some unusual celebrations. His first wicket of the night was Khulna Tigers’ captain Anamul Haque whose leading edge up in the air was caught by mid-on fielder Hasan Mahmud. Tahir recreated his famous celebration of running all over the field and also pulled off the famous Cristiano Ronaldo celebration after claiming his first of the five-for.

Then in his 2nd over, Imran Tahir doubled his tally by removing Afif Hussain before tripling it in his 3rd over of the spell by getting the important wicket of the dangerous Alex Hales for 60 then in the final ball, Tahir bowled a flipper to get the lbw of Akbar Ali for a 2-ball duck.

In his final over of the match, the 44-year-old named Habibur Rahman as his 5th wicket of the night while Mahedi Hasan (1), Shakib (2), Hasan Mahmud (1) and Jimmy Neesham (1) took the remaining wickets.

Imran Tahir Joins The 500-Club

With his 5/26, Imran Tahir joined the 500 T20 wicket club, becoming just the 4th bowler in the world to do so. He is now after West Indies legends Dwayne Bravo, Sunil Narine, and Afghanistan’s ace Rashid Khan. Bravo heads the list with 624 wickets in 571 matches, Rashid has 556 scalps in 410 matches and Narine has racked up 532 wickets until now.

Meanwhile, Tahir who retired from the international scene in 2019, has 6 BPL wickets to his name in 2 matches this season. The five-for against Khulna was only his 2nd outing of the latest edition and he proved that if given chance, then his ageing self can contribute much more than the youngsters in Rangpur Riders.

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William O’Rourke is a talented right-arm fast-medium bowler who has gained a lot of prominence due to his excellent performance and numbers in New Zealand’s domestic circuit. Veteran Tim Southee who will be taking part in his 98th Test match of his career starting from tomorrow, claimed that the youngster contains a lot of potential and has all the makings for becoming a top performer for them in the near future.

The Kiwis line-up with 3 pacers in their 1st Test, won against South Africa by a heavy margin of 281 runs. However, in the 2nd Test, they are expected to have 4 fast bowlers due to the favorable conditions for seamers on a grassy track at Hamilton. A decision will be made tomorrow and the toss-up will be between O’Rourke and Neil Wagner.

The 1st Test was an absolutely one-sided contest which was ruled by Kane Williamson with his back-to-back centuries across innings at the Bay Oval while Rachin Ravindra amassed a sensational 240 off 366 deliveries in the 1st innings to set up 511 runs.

Also Read: Unmukt Chand reacts to India’s loss in the ICC Under 19 World Cup Final 2024 vs Australia

South Africa’s inexperienced batting lineup could not even score 200 runs as they were folded for just 162, thanks to a collective effort from Matt Henry (3), Kyle Jamieson (2), Mitchell Santner (3), and Rachin Ravindra (2). In the 3rd innings, New Zealand declared at 179 and set up a mammoth target of 529.

The visitors on the back of David Bedingham’s 86 and 30s from the bat of Zubayr Hamza and Ruan de Swardt, bundled out for just 247 as Kyle Jamieson registered figures of 4/58. South Africa’s tension is expected to further increase in the 2nd Test and it will definitely be a good opportunity for William O’Rourke to make his Test debut against a 3rd string team.

“He’s in the 13. It’s great to have those decisions to be made. Will’s an exciting talent and has had a little taste of international cricket, and I’m sure he has a bright future in the highest level as well. His strengths are obviously his height and ability to extract bounce,” Tim Southee as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. 

Also Read: “That was absolute poo”- Ian Healy slams Andre Russell’s bowling in AUS vs WI 2nd T20I

“He’s Not Too Dissimilar”, Southee Compares William O’Rourke To Kyle Jamieson 

William O’Rourke has a decent first-class record of 50 wickets in just 15 outings for the Canterbury in New Zealand’s domestic red-ball circuit. Those closer to the Surrey-born pacer are well aware of the raw pace he generates, the tight line lengths he picks up, and the enormous height that helps him to have a high point of release.

Tim Southee was very praiseful about O’Rourke’s ability as a bowler and he also likened him to the tall Kyle Jamieson.

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South Africa have played just three Test matches in this WTC campaign so far. They have won just one Test match and lost two with the latest defeat against New Zealand.

South Africa were bowled out for 162 and 247 in the first Test. Heading into the second Test, they will need to strengthen their batting lineup with sizeable contributions in the next Test match.

They have already named an inexperienced unit for the Test series and will need to manage their resources throughout the second Test. The bowling unit especially had to bear the brunt of the Kiwi batters who piled up a mammoth 511.

The batters too could not score too many runs and will need to put in a better effort. South Africa have won 26 out of the 48 Test matches played against New Zealand. However, with this squad, they have a very different proposition when they face New Zealand at home.

Also Read: Keshav Maharaj roped in by Fortune Barishal for BPL 2024

Given their performance in the first Test, with an inexperienced batting and bowling unit, they will need to put in a better effort to win the test match. They do not have the option of making too many chopping and changing as they have an inexperienced squad overall.

South Africa Playing 11 vs New Zealand, 2nd Test, 2024

Edward Moore

Moore is the designated opener in the side. He made his debut in the last game scoring 23 and 0 in the last game. He will get another opportunity to make the most of it in Hamilton.

Neil Brand (C)

Brand the stand-in skipper is an all-rounder but he opened the batting in the last game. He might do the same in the second test as well. He picked 8 wickets in the Test match including six in the first innings.

Keegan Petersen

Petersen is the most experienced batter in this squad with 13 Test matches under his belt. He has scored 659 runs from 13 Test matches and needs to bat at three and score runs for his side.

Khaya Zondo

Zondo can bat at four. He idolized AB De Villers and is a middle-order batter. He has played five Test matches and scored 120 runs overall with a best of 39. He has a chance to better his numbers in the second Test.

Zubayr Hamza

Hamza can bayt at five. He has played seven Test matches and scored 270 runs. He scored 22 and 36 in the two innings of the first Test.

David Bedingham

Bedingham can slot in at six. He made his Test debut in the series against India. In the first Test, he scored 32 and 87 in the two innings. He looks the most in-form South African batter in this Test series so far.

Clyde Fortuin (WK)

Fortuin the wicketkeeper will slot in at seven. He scored 9 and 11 in the two innings of the first Test. He was one of the Test debutants in the first Test.

Ruan de Swardt

The all-rounder will bat at eight. He scored 0 and 34* in the two innings of the first Test. He made his Test debut in the first Test as well.

Duanne Olivier

The pacer with 59 wickets in the most experienced pacer and bowler overall. He was expensive and went wicketless in the first Test. He played 16 Test matches so far.

Tshepo Moreki

Moreki was the other debutant in the first Test. He managed to pick up just one wicket and was expensive throughout the Test match. He is a right-arm fast bowler.

Dane Paterson

Paterson concludes the likely XI for South Africa in the second test against New Zealand. He picked up just three wickets in the first Test. He has picked up just six wickets from three Test matches.

Also Read: Ravindra Jadeja not to play 3rd Test vs England? Aakash Chopra warns Indian team management

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New Zealand’s first innings score of 511 was too much for the Proteas who were bowled out for 162 and 247 in the two innings of the Test match. The team is now eyeing a clean sweep by winning the second Test in Hamilton.

Heading into the second Test, Daryl Mitchell is ruled out with a foot injury. He will miss the next Test match and the following T20I series against Australia. Tim Southee will lead the side. He has Matt Henry, and Neil Wagner as his bowling partners along with Mitchell Santner being the specialist spinner.

In this article, we take a look at New Zealand’s likely playing XI in the second Test against South Africa. In 48 Test matches between the two sides, the Kiwis have won just six games while the Proteas have 26. The Kiwis have won three at-home and three away Tests against the Proteas.

New Zealand Playing 11 vs South Africa, 2nd Test, 2024

Tom Latham

Latham will open the batting for New Zealand. He scored 20 and three in the two innings of the first Test. He has scored over 5000 runs in 77 Test matches.

Devon Conway

Conway will open the batting along with Latham. He made his Test debut in 2021 and rose quickly in the format. He has played 19 Test matches and is approaching 1500 runs in the format.

Will Young

Will Young will replace Daryl Mitchell in the XI. The all-rounder who was ruled out with a foot injury will now be replaced by a specialist batter. Young has played 13 Test matches and is yet to score 1000 runs in the format.

Rachin Ravindra

Ravindra was recalled in the Kiwi Test squad in the first Test. He scored his maiden Test ton and was named the Man of the Match for his exploits. He has played just four Test matches in his young career so far.

Kane Williamson

The veteran skipper will slot in at five. He scored a century in each inning of the first Test breaking few records. The next Test match will be the 99th of his career. He is approaching 9000 Test runs.

Tom Blundell (WK)

Blundell will be the specialist wicketkeeper batting at six. He scored 11 and 5* in the two innings of the first Test. He has played 29 Test matches scoring nearly 2000 runs with four centuries to his name.

Glenn Phillips

Phillips will slot in at seven. He scored 39 in the first innings and took one wicket for 30 runs in the second innings. The right-hander has played just four Test matches scoring nearly 300 runs and picking up nine wickets.

Mitchell Santner

Santner will slot in at eighth lengthening the batting lineup. He has played 26 Test matches scoring close to 1000 runs and picking up 53 wickets in the format. He picked up six wickets in the first Test.

Tim Southee (C)

Southee will lead the side and bat at nine. He took just one wicket and was expensive throughout the Test match. The Kiwi skipper has scored over 2000 runs and picked up 375 Test wickets. He will be playing his 98th Test match.

Kyle Jamieson

Jamieson will be the second seamer in the XI. He started as an all-rounder but then shifted his focus to bowling. He has been injury-prone in his career in the recent past. He picked up six wickets in the Test match including a four-wicket-haul in the first innings.

Matt Henry

Henry concludes the likely XI for New Zealand in the second Test against South Africa. He picked up four wickets in the first Test. He has picked 76 wickets in 22 Test matches.

Also Read: Watch: Musheer Khan takes outstanding return catch to dismiss Raf MacMillan in U19 WC 2024 final

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New Zealand will be led by Tim Southee. He has been the Test skipper for the Kiwis for some time now. The Kiwis scored a mammoth first innings total of 511 in the first Test with Rachin Ravindra scoring his maiden Test ton while Kane Williamson scored centuries in both innings. 

South Africa were bowled out for 162 in their first innings. The Kiwis opted to bat second time scoring 174/9 in their second innings with Williamson scoring 109 off 132 deliveries.

They set SA a stiff target of 529 to win the second Test. Chasing the mammoth total, the visitors were bowled out for 247. This is South Africa’s second loss in this WTC campaign. They have just won a Test match so far. 

Overall, in 48 Test matches between the two sides, South Africa have won 26 Tests while the Kiwis have six. In 23 Test matches in New Zealand, the Proteas have won nine matches while the Kiwis just three. 11 Tet matches ended in a draw. The last time both these teams played a Test series was back in 2022 which ended 1-1. 

The absence of the regular Test players in the South African squad was a major talking point in the first Test. All of them were busy playing in the SA20 which is why Cricket South Africa named a second-string Test side that faltered badly in the first Test. 

CSA clearly stated the importance of the SA20 league and how it plays a massive role in driving revenue for the national cricket team. The season ended with Sunrisers Eastern Cape winning back-to-back titles. However, there is no update on any of the players joining the Test side as yet.

Also Read: Keshav Maharaj roped in by Fortune Barishal for BPL 2024

NZ vs SA Match Preview- 2nd Test, 2024

New Zealand

The New Zealand squad for the second Test match is already announced. Daryl Mitchell will miss the Test match followed by the T20I series against Australia due to a foot injury. Despite his absence, the Kiwi side has a lot of firepower with both bat and bowl to win the Test match. 

The presence of Southee, Neil Wagner, Kye Jamieson, Matt Henry, and Mitchell Santner gives the team five specialist bowling options. Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra can be used as the sixth bowling option if required. Playing at home and leading the WTC points table currently, this is a great opportunity for the hosts to go for the kill. 

New Zealand Squad 

 Tim Southee (c), Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson, Will Young

South Africa 

South Africa have won 26 out of the 48 Test matches played against New Zealand. However, the current squad has seven inexperienced players who have played one Test match or less in the squad. Keegan Petersen with 13 Test matches is the most capped player in this current side. 

Seeing the performance from the visitors in the first Test, Petersen and David Bedingham are the two most important bowlers in the side. The side lacks experienced bowlers like Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi. Keshav Maharaj who plays regularly in Test cricket is also not a part of the side. 

In such a scenario, the inexperienced bowling attack will be tested. Skipper Neil Brand took 8 wickets in his maiden Test and scored just four runs with the bat. In the absence of the regulars, there is no definite batting lineup as well for the visitors managing which will be an altogether different task. 

South Africa Squad

 Neil Brand (c), David Bedingham, Ruan de Swardt, Clyde Fortuin, Zubayr Hamza, Tshepo Moreki, Mihlali Mpongwana, Duanne Olivier, Dane Paterson, Kegan Petersen, Dane Piedt, Raynard van Tonder, Shaun von Berg, Khaya Zondo

Also Read: Chennai Super Kings to start training camp for IPL 2024 on March 1, reveals Deepak Chahar

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New Zealand won the first Test by 281 runs. They scored 511 in the first innings with Kane Williamson scoring 118 and Rachin Ravindra 240. The Proteas in their first innings were bowled out for 162. The Kiwis opted to bat a second time scoring 179/4 with Williamson scoring 109 off 132 balls.

The Proteas were asked to chase down 529 to win and were bowled out for 247. Kyle Jamieson picked up four wickets in the second innings while Mitchell Santner three. The win has taken the Kiwis to the top of the WTC points table. The Proteas are languishing at seventh on the table.

New Zealand have announced their squad for the second Test. Tim Southee leads them with a full-strength squad available for selection. The batting form of Williamson and Ravindra gives good signs for the Kiwis to go all out in the second Test as well. They have a well-rounded bowling attack with Southee, Wagner, Kyle Jamieson, and Mitchell Santner. Middle-Order batter Daryl Mitchell was ruled out of the second Test with a foot injury. He is set to miss the Australia T20I series as well.

New Zealand and South Africa have played 48 Test matches with the Proteas winning 26 Test matches and the Kiwis just six. In New Zealand in 23 Test matches, NZ won three and SA nine. South Africa have a 9-3 lead in Test matches against the Blackcaps in New Zealand. The Proteas have been one of the few sides to dominate the Kiwis on their home soil. 11 Test matches have ended in a draw in New Zealand.

Also Read: Watch – Kavya Maran’s celebration goes viral after Sunrisers Eastern Cape clinches SA20 2024 title

South Africa have emerged victorious in two of their last five Test matches against New Zealand. The last Test between the two sides ended in the Proteas’ favor by a big margin of 198 runs. The match happened in February 2022, with Sarel Erwee guiding the visitors to a win courtesy of his century.

South Africa have named a second-string side for the two-match Test match. The senior players opted out as they had to play the SA20. Cricket South Africa specified the importance of the availability of the senior players in the league. They also spoke about how the SA20 helps drive the revenue for the country’s cricketing expenses. As many as seven uncapped players were named in South Africa’s squad for the two-match series before the first Test.

NZ vs SA Weather Report Live Today And Pitch Report Of Seddon Park, Hamilton – 2nd Test, 2024

The NZ vs SA Test match starts on February 13 in Hamilton. The match starts at 3 am IST which is 11 am local time. The venue has hosted 27 Test matches to date with the team batting first winning nine matches while the team chasing winning 10 games. The average first innings score is close to 320. However, the Kiwis in their batting form will look to score more. The pitch is a good one for batting with the ball expected to swing for the first two to three days at least.

Speaking about the playing conditions, the weather conditions will remain clear and sunny throughout the Test match. The temperature will remain between 25-29 degrees. There is a 10 percent chance of rain on day 3 (February 15).

Also Read: Mohammad Amir to make an international comeback? Sarfaraz Ahmed delivers a stunning update

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Kane Williamson scored centuries in both innings while Rachin Ravindra scored his maiden test double ton. The form of the two Kiwi batters promises a lot more for the team in the second Test. The Kiwis are topping the points table as well.

South Africa has named a very inexperienced unit. Neil Brand was named the skipper for the South African Test squad. He was amongst the even uncapped players who were included in the squad ahead of the Test series.

Keegan Petersen with 13 Test matches is the most experienced batter in the squad. Many of the players made their debut in the first Test.

Cricket South Africa announced its second-string Test squad for the two-match NZ vs SA Test series. This was because the first-choice players were busy playing in the SA20. Cricket South Africa emphasized the importance of the tournament bringing revenue to the nation.

However, it was met with criticism from all corners of the world, with former Australian captains Steve Waugh and Michael Clarke also criticizing the move. The SA20 2024 ended on Saturday with Sunrisers Eastern Cape winning their second consecutive title.

Also Read: Watch – Kavya Maran’s celebration goes viral after Sunrisers Eastern Cape clinches SA20 2024 title

New Zealand and South Africa have played 48 Test matches with the Kiwis winning six games while the Proteas 26. 16 Test matches ended in a draw. In 23 Test matches played in New Zealand, South Africa have won nine and New Zealand just three. 11 out of those matches were drawn. The last Test series between the two teams in New Zealand ended in a 1-1 draw.

South Africa have emerged victorious in two of their last five Test matches against New Zealand. The last Test between the two sides ended in the Proteas’ favor by a big margin of 198 runs.

The match happened in February 2022, where Sarel Erwee’s century guided the visitors to an emphatic win. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s win in the first Test has taken the hosts to the top of the WTC points table. The Proteas are currently placed seventh with a PCT of 33.33.

NZ vs SA Head To Head Records (Overall Stats)

NZ vs SA Head To Head Records In Tests

NZ vs SA Head To Head Records In ODIs

NZ vs SA Head To Head Records In T20Is

NZ vs SA Head-to-Head Records in Tests- 2nd Test, 2024

Matches Played: 48

New Zealand Won- 6

South Africa Won- 26

Most Runs For South Africa: Jacues Kallis-1543

Most Wickets For South Africa- Dale Steyn-68

Most Runs For New Zealand-Stephen Fleming-1072

Most Wickets For New Zealand- Chris Matin-55

Also Read: Adam Hollioake names the future superstar of Pakistan Cricket and it’s not Babar Azam

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New Zealand will be led by Tim Southee. The New Zealand Cricket Board has named a full-strength squad for the two-match series. Former Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson slammed two tons in the two innings and upcoming batter Rachin Ravindra scored his maiden Test double ton. Daryl Mitchell is ruled out of the second Test and the following Australia T20I series with a foot injury.

The inexperienced South African side will be led by Neil Brand who made his Test debut in the first Test. As many as seven players made their Test debut in the first Test including their skipper. The side is placed seventh in the WTC points table with a PCT point of 33.33. 

The first-choice South African players were busy playing in the SA20 while the first Test match was on in Mount Maunganui. It is being said that SA20 is crucial to Cricket South Africa earning crucial revenues.

This decision by the board has drawn severe criticism from cricket experts all around the world. However, the CSA has repeatedly spoken about the importance of SA20 in bringing cricketing revenue to the country. 

The back-to-back successful editions of the SA20 have helped it earn a major place in the cricketing calendar. It is now starting to compete with leagues like the CPL, BBL, and IPL. The IPL is by far the best T20 league in the world and the involvement of IPL franchises in the SA20 shows the power that these franchises carry with themselves. 

Also Read: Watch – Kavya Maran’s celebration goes viral after Sunrisers Eastern Cape clinches SA20 2024 title

Meanwhile,e New Zealand and South Africa have played 48 Test matches so far. South Africa have won 26 matches while the Kiwis have only won six. The first Test win was the sixth win for the visitors overall.

16 Test matches ended in a draw. The Kiwis are leading the points table with a PCT of 66.66. Australia (55.0) is placed second followed by India (52.77), Bangladesh (50.0), and Pakistan (36.66) as the top five teams. 

The New Zealand squad has been announced for the NZ vs SA second Test. Daryl Mitchell is ruled out of the second Test followed by the Australia T20I series due to a foot injury.

Tim Southee will lead the side with Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson available for selection. Southee, Matt Hendy, Kyle Jamieson, Mitchell Santner, and Neil Wagner make up the bowlers.

Recent Venue Records (Seddon Park, Hamilton)

STATS – TEST

Total matches 27

Matches won batting first 9

Matches won bowling first 10

Average 1st Inns scores 312

Average 2nd Inns scores 328

Average 3rd Inns scores 234

Average 4th Inns scores 168

Highest total recorded 715/6 (163 Ov) by NZ vs BAN

Lowest total recorded 93/10 (43.3 Ov) by NZ vs PAK

Who Will Score Most Runs For New Zealand: Kane Williamson /Rachin Ravindra

Who Will Take Most Wickets For New Zealand: Tim Southee / Neil Wagner. 

Who Will Score Most Runs For South Africa: Keegan Petersen / David Bedingham

Who Will Take Most Wickets For South Africa: Duaane Olivier / Dane Piedt

NZ vs SA Today Match Prediction- 2nd Test, Who Will Win Today’s Test Match? 2024  

New Zealand won the first test by 281 and with their far superior and experienced squad are favourites to win the second Test as well.

Also Read: Adam Hollioake names the future superstar of Pakistan Cricket and it’s not Babar Azam

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The Kiwi win was shaped by Rachin Ravindra’s maiden Test double ton and skipper Kane Williamson’s 118. The Kiwis scored 511 in their first innings which was a bit too much for the Proteas. The visitors were bowled out for 162.

Instead of asking the visitors to follow on the Kiwis batted for the second time and scored 174/4 in their second innings with Williamson scoring his second century of the Test match. 

South Africa were asked to chase a daunting 529 to win the first NZ vs SA Test match. The inexperienced side was bowled out for 247 as the Kiwis won the match by 281 runs.

They are currently topping the points table with a PCT point of 66.66. Australia and India are placed second and third respectively. South Africa are placed seventh with a PCT of 33.33. Their only Test win in this cycle came against India. 

South Africa have named a fairly inexperienced Test side with their senior and regular players busy playing in the SA20. All-rounder Neil Brand is leading this Test side and played the first Test of his career in Mount Maunganui.

None of the players selected for the series has played 10 Test matches for South Africa. South Africa have now played 23 Test matches in South Africa winning nine matches and losing just three.

New Zealand has only won six games against South Africa in Tests. 16 Tets matches have ended in a draw. The second NZ vs SA will be the 49t overall between the two sides. 

The senior South Africa players were busy playing in the SA20 while an inexperienced Test side played the first Test against the Kiwis. Cricket South Africa”s decision to prioritize T20 cricket over Test Cricket with the WTC 2023-25 campaign created doubts over the decision-makers of the game in the country.

The decision to send a second-string Test side to New Zealand has drawn criticism from former Australian captains Steve Waugh and Michael Clarke as well.

Meanwhile, New Zealand will be missing the services of Dary Mitchell from the SA vs NZ second Test and the T20I series against Australia. Mitchell is nursing a foot injury. He has been rested to allow the foot injury to heal quickly and make him available for the forthcoming Test series against Australia.

Also Read: AUS vs WI Weather Report Live Today And Pitch Report Of Adelaide Oval Stadium- 2nd T20I, 2024

New Zealand Head Coach Gary Stead told reporters that the management felt that it was important for Daryl Mitchell to undergo rehabilitation now. Notably, the right-handed batter was rested during the 5th T20I against Pakistan last month. However, his injury did not recover completely.

NZ vs SA Live Streaming In India– 2nd Test, When And Where To Watch New Zealand vs South Africa Live In India? 2024   

When will the NZ vs SA 2nd Test match begin?

The NZ vs SA 2nd Test match starts on February 13, Tuesday at 3.30 am IST.

Where will the NZ vs SA 2nd Test match take place?

The Test match will be played at Seddon Park in Hamilton. 

How to Live Telecast the NZ vs SA 2nd Test match on television?

The New Zealand vs South Africa Live Telecast will not be available in India. 

How to Livestream the NZ vs SA 2nd Test match on mobile Online?

The NZ vs SA live streaming in India will be available on the Amazon Prime Video app and website for premium members. 

 Also Read: AUS vs WI Dream11 Prediction Today Match, Dream11 Team Today, Fantasy Cricket Tips, Playing XI, Pitch Report, Injury Update- West Indies Tour of Australia 2024, 2nd T20I

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Kwena Maphaka was just one wicket short from leveling Bangladesh’s Enamul Haque Jr with 22 wickets in a single U19 World Cup edition. Maphaka also became the first bowler to pick three fifers in a single edition of the U19 World Cup. Maphaka has joined the elite list of players who have been awarded as the Player of the Tournament after the U19 World Cup.

Before Kwena Maphaka, South Africa’s Dewald Brevis won the award in the previous edition for being the highest run scorer of the tournament. Greats such as Shubman Gill, Tim Southee, Shikhar Dhawan, Aiden Markram, and Yuvraj Singh have won the Player of the Tournament award respectively in previous editions of the U19 World Cup.

Kwena Maphaka named the Player of the Tournament in the U19 World Cup 2024

Kwena Maphaka has proved to be one of the main finds of the U19 World Cup 2024. Maphaka has proved that he has a bright future and can bowl at a serious pace. Maphaka may soon join the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, and Anrich Nortje in the national team and become the highest wicket-taker for South Africa.

Coming back to the final of the tournament, it was Australia who were able to defeat India in the final in Benoni and won their fourth U19 World Cup title. India who were playing their seventh U19 World Cup final and 5th consecutive overall, were unable to win their 6th U19 World Cup trophy. Australia’s Mahli Beardman was the Player of the Match and ended the match with figures of 3/15.

Australia amassed a total of 253/7 when batting first, with Harjas Singh top-scoring with 55 runs from 64 balls. With the ball, Indian bowler Raj Limbani stole three wickets to lead India. Oliver Peake and skipper Hugh Weibgen, who played innings of 48 and 46* runs, respectively, have made significant contributions in addition to Harjas.

India lost an early wicket in Arshin Kulkarni for three runs while chasing the target. The squad attempted to rally with a few more runs from Musheer Khan and Adarsh Singh, but Musheer was out for 22 runs as well. The other batsmen were removed cheaply and were unable to hold the crease for too long. With a little grace, Adarsh Singh and Murugan Abhishek scored 47 and 42 runs in their respective innings. Mahli Beardman and Raf MacMillan, who each took three wickets, were Australia’s two best bowlers.

Australia once again became the reason behind the heartbreak of the Indian fans. The Aussies defeated India in the ODI World Cup 2023 final last year and the same script was followed in the U19 World Cup final. The Indian team were dominant in the CWC 2023 as well and were undefeated whereas in the U19 World Cup, the Indian U19 team were ruthless and were undefeated ahead of the final.

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Keshav Maharaj is now slated to arrive in Chattogram on February 13 and is all set to be available for the next game of Fortune Barishal, as per ESPNCricinfo. He will be entering the League on the back of a decent campaign in the SA202024, playing for Durban Super Giants.

Keshav Maharaj captained Durban Super Giants in the SA20 2024 and guided them to the final of the tournament. He, however, didn’t have a fairytale ending as his team suffered a disappointing loss against Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the summit clash.

Keshav Maharaj didn’t play for South Africa in the Test series against New Zealand. The proteas have named an inexperienced squad for the series. The left-arm spinner will be arriving in Bangladesh a day his national team will play the second Test against New Zealand in Hamilton.

Keshav Maharaj will be missing the domestic four-day competition in South Africa. His presence will boost the strength of the Fortune Barishal in the Bangladesh Premier League 2024. The franchise is having a great time in the league and is in the top four of the points table.

Fortune Barishal have four games remaining in the BPL. It is expected that Keshav Maharaj will be playing all of those. On spin-favoring tracks in Bangladesh, the left-arm spinner will be crucial for the team in the tournament. If he clicks, the franchise no doubt can acquire the top spot in the table.

The reports in ESPNCricinfo suggested that apart from Keshav Maharaj, few South African players who were involved in the SA20 looked in for opportunities to play in the final week of the ILT20. However, CSA wasn’t keen on the idea.

Journey as captain has been amazing – Keshav Maharaj after losing SA20 2024 final

Keshav Maharaj impressed many with his leadership skills in the SA20 2024. Apart from his captaincy, the left-arm spinner led from the front and picked up 15 wickets in the league.

He spoke about his stint in the SA20 2024, saying that his journey as a leader has been amazing. Keshav Maharaj added that his team should be proud of what they’ve achieved. Speaking at the post-match presentation, he explained:

“At the start, if you gave us the final, we would’ve taken it. Big turnaround from last year. Lot of positives to build on for next season. Probably 20-30 runs too many. We were quite sloppy on the field as well. We felt it was a good wicket, but losing wickets doesn’t help. Our coaching staff have put in a hard effort, the owners as well. Boys can be proud of what they’ve achieved. Journey (as captain) has been amazing. Faith and trust that’s been put in me, I’m grateful for it. Thank you to the fans who’ve come out and supported us in numbers.”

Keshav Maharaj now would be hoping to replicate the same performance in the Bangladesh Premier League as well.

The post Keshav Maharaj roped in by Fortune Barishal for BPL 2024 appeared first on CricketAddictor.

South Africa had a strong performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup, securing second place in the group stage. However, their hopes of winning the Trophy were shattered when they lost to Australia in the semi-final. They ended their campaign without winning the title.

In the 2024 T20 World Cup, South Africa is placed in Group D alongside Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Netherlands, and Nepal. Their campaign kicks off against Sri Lanka on June 3, followed by matches against the Netherlands and Bangladesh on June 8, and Nepal on June 14.

Also read: Keshav Maharaj predicts the finalists of ICC T20 World Cup 2024

The post “Spinners will play crucial role” – Keshav Maharaj’s huge T20 World Cup 2024 prediction appeared first on CricketAddictor.

During the inaugural SA20 edition last year, Aiden Markram’s Eastern Cape side defeated Wayne Parnell’s Pretoria Capitals by 4 wickets to engrave their names forever in the history books of the South African domestic franchise T20 cricketing scene.

The Markram-led SEC had finished the league stages in the 3rd position with 19 points and they had to beat Faf Du Plessis-led Joburg Super Kings by 14 runs in 2nd semi-finale to confirm their spot in the finale at the Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg.

In the SA20 2023 final, the SEC had won the toss and elected to bowl first with their bowlers restricting the Pretoria-based outfit to just 135. Their bowling attack was led by Roelof Van der Merwe who claimed man-of-the-match figures of 4/31.

In response, Aiden Markram’s side chased down the total within 16.2 overs thanks to Adam Rossington’s 57 off 30, Jordan Hermann’s 22 off 17, and skipper Aiden Markram’s 26 off 19. That helped the Sunrisers franchise claim their first-ever franchise league title since 2016 when the Sunrisers Hyderabad then led by David Warner claimed the IPL title.

And now this season, the SEC have performed like true reigning champions, winning 7 games and losing just twice in the league stages. They secured direct qualification for the finals by beating Durban Super Giants in the play-off match by a margin of 51 runs and they will have to do the same yet again to successfully defend their title.

While they have reached the final because of their collective performances, the captaincy of Aiden Markram has also been very good and in this light, Dale Steyn believes he is not far from taking over South Africa’s captaincy across all formats.

“Obviously, from a cricketing point of view, he’s got a great brain. He’s a good thinker. And then he leads really well with both bat and in the field. that’s the kind of standard that he set for himself. He doesn’t just talk the talk. He actually walks the talk. So, yeah. If South Africa decides to go with somebody like Aiden Markram in the future to captain them, I’m giving that a thumbs up,” Dale Steyn told News18. 

“He Was Able To Do That And Articulate That Very Well”, Steyn Opines On Aiden Markram’s IPL Captaincy

Dale Steyn went on to further claim that Aiden Markram did exceptionally well as an IPL captain last year for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Steyn pointed out the fact that not all local Indian players are able to speak or understand English that fluently due to the accents and Markram did particularly well to keep the players in sync with his leadership.

“Lot of the local players, one, they don’t speak a lot of good English. And secondly, sometimes they don’t pick up the accents as well. So when you’re talking as a foreign captain, you have to almost talk slightly slower, slightly louder, more pronounced so that everyone can hear you. And I thought Aiden was able to do that and articulate that very well,” Steyn concluded. 

The post “He’s a good thinker” – Dale Steyn in favour of Aiden Markram becoming South Africa’s all-format captain appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Gibbs went on ‘X’ to claim that he would have slammed the first ODI double-century for South Africa. This made fans remember his iconic 175-run innings he played against Australia in Johannesburg to chase down 435 runs against Australia, which is the highest-ever run chase in ODIs.

Herschelle Gibbs played an innings of 175 runs from 111 balls and smashed a total of 21 fours and seven sixes during his stay at the crease. Gibbs’ knock ensured South Africa created history at the Wanderers and were able to win the match by 1 wicket and achieve a brilliant milestone.

Also Read: Champions Trophy 2025 posing threat to T20 leagues around the world – Reports

Herschelle Gibbs comments on Pathum Nissanka’s double-century

Would have pissed it in 2006 if I was concerned about stats ..

— Herschelle Gibbs (@hershybru) February 9, 2024

Herschelle Gibbs’ tweet read, “Would have pissed it in 2006 if I was concerned about stats …”, as per Herschelle Gibbs, he would have become the first batsman to slam a double century in ODI cricket if he was worried about his stats back in 2006.

Remembering the iconic SA vs AUS 2006 5th ODI match, batting first Australia had put up a score of 434/4 courtesy of a brilliant century by captain Ricky Ponting. Ponting played an innings of 164 runs from 105 balls. Michael Hussey also played a knock of 81 runs from 51 balls.

Chasing down the target, South African skipper Graeme Smith played an innings of 90 runs apart from Herschelle Gibbs’ smashing hundred. Mark Boucher was unbeaten on 50 runs and played an important role in helping South Africa chase down the target.

After surpassing both “universe boss” Chris Gayle and Indian great Virender Sehwag to smash a double hundred, Pathum Nissanka became the third-quickest batsman in the history of international cricket to achieve the milestone. While Sehwag reached the milestone in 140 balls, Gayle smashed the double century in 138 balls. In 136 balls, Nissanka accomplished the milestone.

Also Read: “Lucky to have played under Rohit Sharma” – Tilak Varma credits Mumbai Indians stint for India call-up

Getting back to the SL vs AFG first ODI match, Sri Lankan opener Pathum Nissanka created history in Kandy. Nissanka played an innings of 210 runs from 139 balls and hit a total of 20 fours and 8 sixes during his stay at the crease.

Pathum Nissanka now has the best score by a Sri Lankan batsman in the 50-over format and became the first batter to hit a double century in ODI cricket. Nissanka broke the previous mark held by renowned Sri Lankan opener Sanath Jayasuriya. In 2000, Jayasuriya amassed 189 runs in opposition against India.

Ishan Kishan, a young opener for India, presently owns the record for smashing the fastest century in One-Day International cricket. He achieved this feat against Bangladesh in just 126 balls. In the recently concluded ODI World Cup, Australia’s Glenn Maxwell ranked second, hit the mark against Afghanistan in 128 balls.

Pathum Nissanka became the 10th batsman in the history of international cricket to hit an ODI double century. He joined the likes of  Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, Chris Gayle, Martin Guptill, Fakhar Zaman, Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, and Glenn Maxwell.

The Sri Lankan team will want to continue the momentum they gained after winning the ODI series against Zimbabwe by 2-0.

Also Read: SL vs AFG scorecard, 1st ODI highlights: Pathum Nissanka shines in Sri Lanka’s win; Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai’s heroics in vain

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South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad while speaking in the post-match press conference believed that if it was T20 any one individual performance would have won the team the game. However, he believed that to beat a quality side like New Zealand, South Africa had to be on the top of their game every five days. Conrad while saying that six South African players made their Test debut in the first match of the series admitted that they would have been made to confront their qualities.

Shukri Conrad further added that a few players of the current side might have got a knock of how harsh Test cricket can be. Conrad also said the humongous defeat against New Zealand was a major jolt and also a wake-up call for the team.

Shukri Conrad opens up on South Africa’s defeat to New Zealand

He said (as quoted by ESPNCricinfo), “It’s not okay. It’s tough for everyone here. It’s like Burnley going to Anfield every week. If it was a T20, you know one performance can win the game. [In Tests] it’s five days of relentless effort and pressure. You’ve got to be on top of your game all the time against a quality side like New Zealand.”

He added, “A few of them would have taken a knock in terms of the harsh realities that Test cricket brings, and possibly how far away they still are. Many feel that they’re closer to the Test side than they currently are. You go through a few days like they have been through, and that’s a jolt and a wake-up call.”

New Zealand batsman Rachin Ravindra was adjudged the Player of the Match for his tremendous double hundred. Ravindra played an innings of 240 runs, which helped New Zealand put up a score of 511 runs in their first innings. Captain Kane Williamson also slammed hundreds in both the innings. Also, South Africa displayed a flop batting show and were wrapped up for 162 and 247 runs in both innings.

David Bedingham was the main highlight for South Africa in the match as he played an innings of 87 runs in the second innings. Bedingham played some good shots by sticking onto the pitch and showed the will to stay at the crease.

The second Test of the series will be played from February 13 at the Seddon Park in Hamilton. New Zealand are one of the best teams at home in Tests. It is very hard to defeat the Blackcaps in New Zealand in the red ball format and they bring in their ‘A’ game every time whenever they play Tests at home.

The post “Jolt and a wake-up call” – Shukri Conrad on South Africa’s “tough” Test loss to New Zealand appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Daryl Mitchell hit 34 and 11* across both innings of the match. New Zealand outplayed South Africa by 281 runs in the match after posting a mammoth total of 511-10 in the 1st innings. With the victory, the Blackcaps also reached the top spot in the ICC World Test Championship points table.

Also Read: Rachin Ravindra denies sharing his Man of the Match award with Kane Williamson

Daryl Mitchell ruled out due to rehab for a foot injury

Daryl Mitchell has been ruled out of the upcoming NZ vs SA 2nd Test and Australia T20I series due to an ongoing foot injury. He has been rested to allow the foot injury to heal quickly and make him available for the forthcoming Test series against Australia.

New Zealand Head Coach Gary Stead told reporters that the management felt that it was important for Daryl Mitchell to undergo rehabilitation now. Notably, the right-handed batter was rested during the 5th T20I against Pakistan last month. However, his injury did not recover completely.

“Daryl is a hugely important member of the squad in all three formats and ensuring he is in the best shape is vital with the period of matches to come. Based on the schedule ahead, we feel now is an appropriate time for Daryl to complete a period of rehabilitation,” Stead said.

Also Read: ICC commits a horrendous blunder, lists New Zealand icons Martin Crowe, Richard Hadlee, and Debbie as Australian Hall of Famers

NZ vs AUS Test series to begin on February 29

The New Zealand vs South Africa 2nd Test begins on Tuesday, February 13 at Seddon Park in Hamilton. Later, New Zealand will host Australia for T20I and Test series. The three T20I games will take place from February 21 to 25.

Later, the NZ vs AUS Test series will commence with the opening encounter on February 29 in Wellington. The New Zealand vs Australia Test series will observe two encounters. Hence, the BlackCaps wants Daryl Mitchell to be a part of the Test series against Australia.

Bowler Will O’Rourke will replace Mitchell in the New Zealand squad for the final Test against South Africa. He will join the squad in Hamilton. Other than Mitchell, all the other Kiwi members will travel to Hamilton for the next game.

Also Read: David Bedingham wants his own teammates to learn from Kane Williamson after New Zealand humiliate South Africa

New Zealand leads the Test series 1-0

Meanwhile, New Zealand leads the Test series against South Africa 1-0. Pacer Tim Southee leads New Zealand in the series. South Africa is led by Neil Brand in the absence of senior members Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram.

While the hosts have all key members in their squad, South Africa comprises young and less-experienced members in the absence of seniors, who are busy with the SA20 2024 league. South Africa failed in both batting and bowling against Kiwis in the opening game. Now, they need to pull up their socks in the next encounter to outplay the hosts.

The post Massive blow for New Zealand! Daryl Mitchell ruled out of NZ vs SA 2nd Test, Australia T20Is appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Kane Williamson became the fifth New Zealand batsman to score centuries in both innings of the opening Test. Kane helped the team register a 281-run victory in Mount Maunganui. However, his performances were overshadowed by Rachin Ravindra’s 240-run knock.

Williamson achieved a century with 118 runs off 289 balls after getting a reprieve in the first innings. Rachin Ravindra made a significant impact with his maiden double-century in Test cricket. The duo helped the New Zealand team reach a formidable total of 511 runs.

New Zealand chose not to enforce the follow-on, allowing Williamson to secure his second century in the red-ball match. He scored 109 runs off 132 deliveries, featuring 12 boundaries and a six. Skipper Tim Southee declared the second innings with a lead of 528 runs.

We Can All Take A Lot Out Of Kane Williamson’s Innings – David Bedingham

During the post-match presentation, David Bedingham highlighted the importance of learning from Kane Williamson’s approach to enhance their performance. Bedingham suggested that adopting even a fraction of Kane’s technique could greatly benefit all players.

“From a batting point of view, we can all take a lot out of Kane’s innings. We don’t bat like him, but in terms of the application, even from Rav (Rachin Ravindra). If we can learn 10% from Kane, we’ll all be better players,” Bedingham said.

Quite Upset I Didn’t Score A Hundred – David Bedingham

During South Africa’s chase of 529 runs on the fourth day, Bedingham emerged as their sole bright spot in the second innings. The right-handed batter played a counter-attacking innings, scoring 87 runs off 96 deliveries with the help of 13 boundaries and three sixes.

David Bedingham expressed disappointment at missing out on a century but emphasized his commitment to countering the opposition’s bowling attack by sticking to his approach. He highlighted his preference for dictating the terms of his innings to maintain control.

“Quite upset I didn’t score a hundred. We practiced that kind of tactic (against the short balls) because the Kiwis do that quite a bit. I’m glad I stuck to it till the end. The first over Henry was bowling I was blocking, and I thought one might pop, and I might get caught so better to go after it. Also, I like to play on my terms,” he added.

South Africa opted for a second-string team against New Zealand due to their key players’ involvement in domestic T20 matches. The visiting team aims to reverse their fortunes in the upcoming second and final Test match at Seddon Park, starting on February 13.

New Zealand moved to first place in the ICC World Test Championship standings, securing a 66.67% points tally across three matches. On the other hand, South Africa’s ranking dropped from fourth to seventh position as their points percentage decreased to 33.33%.

Also read: NZ vs SA Scorecard, 1st Test Highlights 2024: Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson shine with the bat as New Zealand register a 281-Run victory

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The Black Caps secured their second-largest Test victory in terms of runs. New Zealand is closer to achieving its first-ever Test series victory over South Africa. Rachin Ravindra earned the Player of the Match accolade for his maiden double-century contribution.

Rachin Ravindra Smashes His Maiden Double Century for New Zealand

The Proteas included six debutants as their key players engaged in domestic T20 matches. New Zealand posted a formidable 511-run total in the first innings against the inexperienced South African side, with centuries from Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson.

Kane Williamson notched his 30th Test century, while Rachin Ravindra achieved his maiden double century. Proteas captain Neil Brand claimed six wickets for 119 runs, with Ruan de Swardt securing two and Dane Paterson and Tshepo Moreki each picking up one.

Responding to New Zealand’s dominant total, South Africa were bowled out for 162 runs in the first innings. The Proteas faced a relentless bowling attack, with Matt Henry and Mitchell Santner claiming three wickets each. Ravindra and Kyle Jamieson each secured two wickets.

Kane Williamson Reaches His Second Century Of Match

New Zealand skipper Tim Southee opted not to enforce the follow-on, granting rest to his bowlers. The home team adopted an aggressive approach in the second innings of the match. Williamson secured his second century of the match, scoring 109 runs off 132 balls.

Openers Tom Latham and Devon Conway failed to make an impact with the bat in both innings. Rachin Ravindra managed to score just 12 runs off 26 deliveries. The hosts declared their second innings at 179/4, setting a mammoth target of 529 runs for the visiting team.

Kyle Jamieson Takes Four Wickets In Second Innings

The tourists faced an early setback as debut openers Neil Brand and Edward Moore fell within the first four overs of the day. Neil Brand was dismissed for three by Tim Southee in the third over. Moore was dismissed without scoring in the following over by Matt Henry.

Zubayr Hamza and Raynard van Tonder showed promise but failed to convert their starts into substantial scores. Kyle Jamieson ended their 63-run partnership by dismissing van Tonder. Jamieson also picked up the wicket of Hamza, limiting the opposition to 73/4.

David Bedingham and Keegan Petersen built a strong 105-run partnership for the fifth wicket, with Bedingham scoring a career-best 87 runs off 96 balls. However, Bedingham’s innings ended after tea when he mistimed a pull shot to midwicket in Jamieson’s bowling.

Brief Scores:

New Zealand 511 (Rachin Ravindra 240, Kane Williamson 118, Neil Brand 6-119)

South Africa 162 (Keegan Petersen 45, Matt Henry 3-31, Mitchell Santner 3-34)

New Zealand 179 for 4 Dec. (Kane Williamson 109, Devon Conway 29, Neil Brand 2-52)

South Africa 247 (David Bedingham 87, Kyle Jamieson 4-58, Mitchell Santner 3-59)

Also read: Record Galore As Kane Williamson Smacks Multiple Centuries In 1st Test Against South Africa

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Kane Williamson scored 118 in the first innings while Rachin Ravindra smashed 240 off 366 deliveries to take New Zealand’s total to 511 in the first innings. Rachin Ravindra was selected as the Player of The Match for his brilliant innings against South Africa.

The 24-year-old youngster smashed 26 boundaries and three sixes during his knock of 240. Kane Williamson was the next best performer as he scored 118 in the first innings and 103 in the second innings to take New Zealand home with a great win against South Africa.

Also Read: NZ vs SA Scorecard, 1st Test Highlights 2024: Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson shine with the bat as New Zealand register a 281-Run victory

Rachin Ravindra gave a hilarious reply when he was asked about sharing his POTM award with skipper Kane Williamson. Kane Williamson scored 118 off 289 balls in the first innings with 16 fours to his name while he smashed 109 off 132 balls in the second innings where his bat yielded 12 fours and a six. Williamson has recorded 31 centuries in Test cricket now and is the only New Zealand batter with more than 30 centuries in Test cricket.

When Rachin Ravindra was asked if he would like to share his POTM with Kane Williamson he denied it by hilariously saying, “Nah, not at all. He’s got 31 Test hundreds for my one so I’m not giving that one.” This was the first fifty-plus score for Rachin Ravindra in Test cricket and he made the most of it by converting it into a massive double-century.

Well played, well said#NZvSA pic.twitter.com/N043JC6HmQ

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) February 7, 2024

Also Read: Aakash Chopra fires Bazball warning to Baz and Ben Stokes on behalf of Indian batting lineup

Rachin Ravindra Performed Well In The ODI World Cup For New Zealand

Rachin Ravindra has been a great addition to the New Zealand side and he proved his worth in the ODI World Cup which was held in India during October and November in 2023.

He was the fourth-highest run-getter in the megaevent scoring 578 runs in 10 innings at an average of 64.22 which included three centuries and two half-centuries. He has been picked by the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL after his performance in the World Cup.

Rachin Ravindra also won the ICC Emerging Player of the Year 2023 award for his performance in the ODI World Cup. He made his international debut against Bangladesh in September 2021 in the T20 format and then made his red-ball debut against India at Green Park in Kanpur a couple of months later.

He made his ODI debut in 2023 against Sri Lanka at Eden Park and then made a spectacular impact in the ODI World Cup with his batting.

The second Test between New Zealand and South Africa will be played at the Seddon Park in Hamilton, commencing on February 13, Tuesday. New Zealand are the favorites to win the second Test also as the Proteas’ team is a bit inexperienced.

Also Read: Nasser Hussain wants Virat Kohli to comeback for England Tests so that James Anderson can dismiss him

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New Zealand has displaced Australia from the top spot. The Aussies are now in the 2nd spot with a PCT of 55.0. India follows them in the next spot with a PCT of 52.77. While Australia accounts for 6 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw across 10 games, India has won 3 games, lost 2, and drawn 1 across 6 matches.

After the huge defeat against New Zealand, South Africa has moved down to the 6th spot in ICC World Test Championship points table. With 1 win and 3 defeats in 3 matches, Proteas has a win percentage of 33.33.

Above South Africa, Bangladesh and Pakistan hold 4th and 5th spots with win percentages of 50.0 and 36.33 respectively. Below is the updated ICC World Test Championship points table after NZ vs SA 1st Test.

Also Read: Watch- Jake Fraser-McGurk shows wounds after getting hit twice at same spot off Alzarri Joseph’s delivery

Updated ICC World Test Championship Points Table After NZ vs SA 1st Test

(In the ICC WTC 2023-2025, teams will get 12 points for a win, 4 for a draw, and 6 for a tie. For slow over-rates teams will lose one championship point for each over-short. Teams will be ranked on the percentage of points won.)

West Indies, England, and Sri Lanka take the last three spots in ICC World Test Championship 2023-25. West Indies have a win percentage of 33.33 while England have 25.0. Sri Lanka has 0.0 PCT with 2 defeats in 2 games.

Also Read: Shamar Joseph gets into ICC Player of the Month nominees for January as India players neglected

New Zealand defeat South Africa by 281 runs in 1st Test

Meanwhile, New Zealand grabbed a massive victory by 281 runs against South Africa in the Bay Oval Test of the ongoing series. Batting first, the home side Kiwis posted a gigantic 511-10 in 1st innings with a double ton by Rachin Ravindra. Kane Williamson slammed a century.

Later, they bowled out South Africa for just 162 with 3 wickets each by Matt Henry and Mitchell Santner. Kyle Jamieson and Rachin Ravindra hunted 2 wickets each. In the 2nd innings, Kiwis declared at 179-4, setting a mammoth 529-run target for Proteas.

Also Read: Jason Holder reveals why he opted out of Test series against Australia

Proteas succumbed to the pressure and were bowled out for just 247 and lost the match. David Bedingham slammed the most 87 runs for the visitors. Kyle Jamieson hunted 4 wickets this time. Rachin Ravindra was awarded the player-of-the-match award for his double ton and 2 wickets.

Meanwhile, New Zealand vs South Africa Test series consists of another match. Hence, South Africa can make a comeback in the next match to draw the series. They can also improve their ranks in ICC World Test Championship points table with a win in the next match. NZ vs SA 2nd Test begins on February 13 at Seddon Park in Hamilton.

The post Updated ICC World Test Championship Points Table After NZ vs SA 1st Test, WTC Table and Rankings appeared first on CricketAddictor.

The hosts South Africa proved to be a tough opponent for India in the semi finals as batting first they were able to put up a fighting first innings total of 244/7. Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Richard Seletswane were able to score half-centuries and played innings of 74 and 64 runs respectively. However, Indian bowler Raj Limbani picked up three wickets with the ball whereas, Musheer Khan also picked up 2 wickets. Naman Tiwari and Saumy Pandey ended up with 1 wicket each.

Chasing down the target India were reduced to 32/4. South African pacer Kwena Maphaka struck on the first ball of the chase and removed opener Adarsh Singh for a golden duck. Arshin Kulkarni was also dismissed for 9 runs by Tristan Luus, and he didn’t stop and ended up removing Musheer Khan and Priyanshu Moliya for 4 and 5 runs respectively.

India were taken out of trouble by captain Uday Saharan and Sachin Dhas, who added 171 runs for the 5th wicket. Dhas played an innings of 96 runs from 95 balls and hit a total of 11 fours and 1 six. On the other hand, Saharan played a knock of 81 runs from 124 balls. Soon after the departure of Sachin Dhas, India lost 2 quick wickets, but Uday Saharan stood at the crease till the end and got out when the Indian team needed 1 run to win inside 2 overs. At last, India were able to win the match by 2 wickets and marked a place in their fifth consecutive U19 World Cup final.

Netizens shower love on India post win over South Africa in U19 World Cup semi-final

The netizens are coming up with different reactions on the social post after India’s win in the U19 World Cup 2024 semi-final over South Africa. Some of them are mentioned below:

Well done boys @BCCI #U19WorldCup. What a win. Showed a lot of character from 32/4 to chasing 245. #Futurestars #SAvIND

— Anjum Chopra (@chopraanjum) February 6, 2024

What a win from being 32 for 4 .. fantastic performance from the young boys .. some good talent in this South African side too @bcci

— Sourav Ganguly (@SGanguly99) February 6, 2024

Australia or Pakistan will face India in the U19 final. Either of them will make it interesting. We are ready ᶠᵒʳ ʰᵉᵃʳᵗᵇʳᵉᵃᵏ.

— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) February 6, 2024

Fifth consecutive Under-19 World Cup final for India … great recovery from 32-4 to chase down 245 … India’s success has major contribution from the great Rahul Dravid who guided the younger generation… hope it’s a Pakistan-India final on Sunday #JuniorWorldCup

— Shahid Hashmi (@hashmi_shahid) February 6, 2024

Really Amazing.. heart stopping match…Under 19 boys showed great character to win the Semi Final against the Host South Africa in World the Cup… winning from a losing position of 32 for 4 to go beyond the 244runs to win the semifinals….but also hope Sachin Dhas has learned…

— Samip Rajguru (@samiprajguru) February 6, 2024

Some drama, but what a win. Super from Sachin, Uday and that six from Raj #U19WorldCup

— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) February 6, 2024

Yet another final and a crack at the Under 19 World Cup title for India pic.twitter.com/5eXQbSULD2

— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) February 6, 2024

Another World Cup final for India in ICC tournament. Congratulations Under 19 boys. pic.twitter.com/2G12WD1JSi

— Vimal कुमार (@Vimalwa) February 6, 2024

#U19WorldCup

Uday Saharan — you're too cool, boy. Well played!

— KSR (@KShriniwasRao) February 6, 2024

What a comeback and win #INDvsSA pic.twitter.com/iekD6zAk6w

— 𝙕𝙀𝙀𝙈𝙊 (@Broken_ICTIAN) February 6, 2024

Sachin Das (96) and skipper Uday Saharan (81) deserve all the praises today. Gems.

India is proud of ypur boys! Go get it. #INDvsSA #Under19WorldCup pic.twitter.com/GbsYdfbIu4

— Ridhima Pathak (@PathakRidhima) February 6, 2024

INDIA HAVE QUALIFIED FOR THE FINAL OF U19 WORLD CUP….!!!! #INDvsSA pic.twitter.com/2h5eVOINe3

— Bemba Tavuma 2.0 (@PabloEs58765418) February 6, 2024

Into The Finals

Well Played Uday Saharan and Sachin Dhas

Chad Boys
#U19WorldCup #INDvsSA pic.twitter.com/YdQvUWZZx8

— sarcastic (@Sarcastic_broo) February 6, 2024

India enters into U19 World Cup finals for the record 9th Time in 15 WC editions

What a consistency#INDvSA | #INDvsSA | #U19WorldCup2024 | #U19WorldCup pic.twitter.com/jYYlY6Uj9f

— Don Cricket (@doncricket_) February 6, 2024

What a Sixxx!!! What a sixer …#U19WorldCup #INDvsSA pic.twitter.com/llDsj6e6up

— 𝐕𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐓𝕏𝐑𝐂𝐁 (@ProfKohli18) February 6, 2024

India Into The Finals

Well Played Uday Saharan and Sachin Dhas

2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
JAI HO
India reach their fifth consecutive men’s #U19WorldCup final! #UdaySaharan #SachibDhas #INDvsSA#U19WorldCup2024 pic.twitter.com/YjydKVVNZo

— ARVIND SINGH RAJPUROHIT (@avrajpurohit108) February 6, 2024

I was shouting since the Asia Cup 2024 that Sachin Das is a unique talent and today you guys know why i rates him above all. #INDvsSA #SacinDas #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/q5BCEGWGY2

— Wasay Habib (@wwasay) February 6, 2024

I was shouting since the Asia Cup 2024 that Sachin Das is a unique talent and today you guys know why i rates him above all. #INDvsSA #SacinDas #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/q5BCEGWGY2

— Wasay Habib (@wwasay) February 6, 2024

Some things never change#U19WorldCup #INDvsSA #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/2VVCm91NcM

— TCTV Cricket (@tctv1offl) February 6, 2024

Some things never change#U19WorldCup #INDvsSA #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/2VVCm91NcM

— TCTV Cricket (@tctv1offl) February 6, 2024

The final of the U19 World Cup 2024 will be played on February 11, 2024, in Benoni.

The post Heart-Stopping Match! Twitter Erupts As India Overcome Feisty South Africa To Reach 5th Consecutive U19 World Cup Final appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Kane Williamson displayed his vintage self after South Africa had put the Kiwis to bat first on a track which has favored the batters heavily. After a crumbling start given by openers Tom Latham and Devon Conway, which saw the hosts lose 2 wickets within the 17th over, Rachin Ravindra partnered alongside Williamson to steady their ship.

The duo made a fantastic effort in the middle and after initially trying to get set, Rachin and Williamson started battering the inexperienced Proteas bowling attack. Both of them stood for a splendid 232-run partnership for the 4th wicket and shared most of the team’s eventual 1st inning total.

Kane Williamson Becomes First From His Country To Score 30 Test Tons

Kane Williamson with his 118 off 289 including 16 fours became the first batter from his country to ever score 30 Test centuries. No other batter before him in New Zealand was able to do so. In fact no Kiwi batter has even scored 20 tons and that describes just how hard it is to score runs in the longest format.

Former top-order explosive batter Ross Taylor has the 2nd most Test centuries for New Zealand with 18 tons from 2007-2022. Martin Crowe is the 3rd highest centurion for them with 17. With no other Kiwi batter getting closer to Williamson, he will probably go down as the biggest player New Zealand have ever had.

Although Kane Williamson himself will hope that someone from the current team is able to emulate him but that will require a lot of patience and a lot more Test cricket going forward. And if anyone can then it is their left-hand batter Rachin Ravindra who smacked a wonderful double hundred in the same innings that Williamson achieved his 30th and their efforts led New Zealand to post a mammoth 511.

South Africa’s inexperienced batting lineup did not produce a fitting response as they were bundled out for just 162, thanks to 3 wickets each for Matt Henry and Mitchell Santner while Kyle Jamieson and Ravindra collected a brace each.

Kane Williamson Joint 2nd Fastest Batter To Score 31 Test Tons And Also The Joint 6th Highest Test Centurion On Home Soil

Kane Williamson carried on his form in the 2nd innings with yet another century. His 109 off 132 helped him become the 2nd fastest batter alongside Aussie legend Steve Smith to score 31 Test tons in 170 innings, falling behind only to former Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar who achieved the incredible feat in 165 innings.

Moreover, the first-ever World Test Championship-winning captain also became the joint 6th highest century scorer in the world. He smacked his 18th at home in the 2nd innings and with that, he also became the 5th Blackcaps batter after Glenn Turner, Geoff Howarth, Andrew Jones, and Peter Fulton to score two centuries across innings in the same Test match.

The post Record Galore As Kane Williamson Smacks Multiple Centuries In 1st Test Against South Africa appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Kane Williamson is also an idol for many cricket fans due to his fitness and gun fielding ability. Williamson takes brilliant catches on the field and also saves a lot of runs.

In a recent video, Williamson was doing stretching ahead of the day’s play in the NZ vs SA first Test match. While Williamson was doing his stretching, he was hit by the ball with which, his teammate was practicing. Williamson seemed annoyed with the disturbance and he angrily showed the middle finger to his teammate. This came as a huge surprise to fans as Kane Williamson is a cool and humble cricketer, who avoids showing his anger on the field.

Watch: Kane Williamson loses his cool

Never interupt Kane's stretches #NZvSA pic.twitter.com/VjuHq6RC4h

— Adam Walker (@adwalks87) February 5, 2024

Winning the toss and batting first in Tauranga, New Zealand put up a brilliant first-innings score of 511 runs. The Kiwis were off to a forgettable start and lost both the openers Tom Latham and Devon Conway for 39 runs. However, Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson put up a stand of 232 runs for the third wicket. Both the batsmen played some brilliant knocks and put their team in a commanding position in the match.

On one end, Kane Williamson played an innings of 118 runs from 289 balls whereas, Rachin Ravindra slammed a brilliant double century and played a knock of 240 runs from 366 balls. Ravindra repeated his ODI heroics in the Tests as well and has proved to be a brilliant batsman for the Kiwis.

Soon after the departure of Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, and Rachin Ravindra added another 103 runs for the 4th wicket, which helped New Zealand put up a first-innings score of 511 runs.

In reply, South Africa were wrapped up for 162 runs as they fell cheaply against the Kiwi bowlers. Keegan Petersen was the highest scorer of the South African innings and played an innings of 45 runs from 132 balls. Matt Henry and Mitchell Santner picked up 3 wickets each whereas, Kyle Jamieson and Rachin Ravindra bagged 2 wickets apiece.

Batting in their second innings, New Zealand are 179/4 at the end of Day 3 and currently lead by 528 runs in the match. The current team of South Africa, lack many mainstream players such as Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram, Kagiso Rabada, and Lungi Ngidi. All these players are currently busy playing in the SA20 2024 due to which many new names are playing in the Test series against New Zealand.

The Kiwis are in a commanding position to win the match and shall do it pretty dominantly if they repeat the bowling performance that happened in the first innings. The Kiwis are the champions of the World Test Championship 2021 and will be wanting to repeat the performance in the current cycle of the world’s largest Test tournament.

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In the absence of Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram, Neil Brand leads South Africa in the NZ vs SA Test series. The home team Kiwis was asked to bat first in the match and they posted a gigantic total of 511-10 in 1st innings.

Although New Zealand did a lot of damage with the bat, Neil Brand was lauded by fans for his stand-out bowling show in the match. The left-arm orthodox spinner hunted 6 wickets for 119 runs on his Test debut. He got wickets of Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, and Matt Henry to register brilliant bowling figures.

Also Read: Zak Crawley becomes 3rd batsman in 10 years to clinch this rare record vs India

Neil Brand registers best bowling show by spinner on Test Debut

On his journey to a 6-wicket haul on debut, Neil Brand broke multiple records in bowling. To begin with, Brand has recorded the best bowling show by a spinner on Test debut. The earlier record was held by Bangladesh’s Naimur Rahman, who hunted 6 wickets for 132 runs against India in November 2000.

Moreover, Brand has also joined former South Africa skipper Shaun Pollock to grab a six-wicket haul as a skipper. Pollock hunted a five-haul against India as a captain in November 2001. The best bowling show on Test debut by a South African player stands with Lance Klusener, who hunted 8 wickets for 64 runs against India in November 1996.

Also Read: Ravichandran Ashwin gets in record books against England in the Vizag Test

South Africa gets poor start in batting

Meanwhile, Neil Brand could not lead South Africa to a powerful bowling show against New Zealand. With a double century by Rachin Ravindra (240) and a century by Kane Williamson (118), the Kiwis posted a mammoth 511-10 in 1st innings. Other than Brand’s 6 scalps, Ruan de Swardt got 2 wickets while Tshepo Moreki and Dane Paterson picked 1 scalp each.

Later, South Africa also had a miserable start to batting. They lost opener Neil Brand for just 4 runs. Later, they also lost Edward Moore (23) and Raynard van Tonder (0) cheaply. Kyle Jamieson found the first two breakthroughs for New Zealand in the match.

ALso Read: “Achieve half of what Virat Kohli has..”- Kevin Pietersen shuts down Virat Kohli’s critics with classic statement

At the stumps of Day 2, South Africa lost 4 wickets for 80 runs. Zubayr Hamza was the fourth batter to lose his wicket for 22 runs. On Day 3 of NZ vs SA 1st Test, David Bedingham and Keegan Petersen will take the strike. South Africa trails by 431 runs in the match.

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Shaheen Afridi is currently representing the Desert Vipers in the ILT20 2024 edition, which is captained by former New Zealand opening batter Colin Munro. The Vipers suffered a 30-run loss yesterday during match number 21 of the latest edition against the MI Emirates at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Afridi watched his teammates getting stepped over by Nicholas Pooran’s Emirates side which came all guns blazing against the Vipers. After Colin Munro asked the Emirates to bat first, the home team got off to a flyer, thanks to Sri-Lanka opener Kusal Perera’s brilliant knock of 65 off 46 at a fiery strike rate of over 145 which included 8 fours and a six.

Although his partner Muhammad Waseem departed cheaply for 7, Perera continued to show his power-hitting prowess. Number 3 batter Andre Fletcher failed to provide stability as he got out while trying to dispatch every ball out of the park for an 11 off 9.

Then came the veteran Ambati Rayudu who steadied the Emirates’ falling ship. He chipped in very well with his 44 off 38 deliveries including 5 fours and a six. Rayudu stitched a 75-run partnership with Perera before the latter received his marching orders from countryman Wanindu Hasaranga.

MI Emirates captain Nicholas Pooran then played out a man-of-the-match winning knock of 39 off 15 at an unbelievable strike rate of over 260. His blistering knock included 3 fours and 4 sixes and helped his side post a defendable total of 189 on the board.

It was evident that the Desert Vipers missed the services of Shaheen Afridi who added a lot of variety and depth to the bowling attack. He is very effective with the new ball as well as the old ball, mainly because of the raw pace he generates and the high release point of his action, which is aided by his height.

In his absence, Mohammad Amir had the onus of leading the bowling attack and he was the team’s most economical bowler last night. Shaheen Afridi is expected to return for Desert Vipers’ next ILT20 clash against the Dubai Capitals on February 9th at the Dubai Sports City cricket stadium. The Vipers are currently in contention to reach the play-off rounds as they are currently placed at number 4 with 6 points to their name.

Shaheen Afridi’s Record Against Hashim Amla Shows Why The Latter Is So Difficult To Bowl Against

During the live session on his space on X, Shaheen Afridi claimed that Hashim Amla gave him the toughest time as a bowler and their head-to-head record shows why. The left-arm fast bowler has been able to get his wicket only twice out of the 113 balls he has bowled to Amla in 3 Test innings, 4 ODI innings, and once during a T2o franchise league game.

“Hashim Amla is the toughest batter I have bowled to in my career.” – Shaheen Afridi said on his X handle.    

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Rachin Ravindra arrived at the crease in NZ vs SA 1st Test at two-down. He smacked 240 runs off 366 deliveries to smash his first Test century. During his innings, the 24-year-old shattered 26 boundaries and 3 sixes.

Also Read: Kane Williamson surpasses Sir Don Bradman to join elite list of Test centurions

Rachin Ravindra smacks top knock as maiden Test century by New Zealand player

Rachin Ravindra registered the record for the highest knock by a New Zealand player during his maiden Test century. For Kiwi player Mathew Sinclair held the record with his 214, which he slammed in 1999.

Sinclair scored the knock in a Test match against West Indies in Wellington. New Zealand also won that game by an innings and 105 runs. However, Ravindra has surpassed him for the record after 25 years.

Notably, Ravindra smacked a double ton in his 4th Test and 7 innings of his career. He made his Test debut in November 2021 and has a batting average of 52+ with 313 runs across 7 innings. He is a batting all-rounder who has become a regular member across all three formats.

Also Read: NZ vs SA Live Streaming In India– 1st Test, When And Where To Watch New Zealand vs South Africa Live In India? 2024

Ravindra-Williamson set 232-run stand

The left-hander also mustered a superb partnership of 232 runs with Kane Williamson for 3rd wicket in NZ vs SA 1st Test. Williamson also hit a century in the match and became the first Kiwi batter to smack 30 centuries in Tests.

Rachin Ravindra and Williamson led New Zealand to a gigantic total of 511-10 in the 1st innings of the Bay Oval Test. Asked to bat first, they lost openers Tom Latham (20) and Devon Conway (1) cheaply. However, the Williamson-Ravindra pair drove the scoreboard to a mountainous total. Later, Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips added 39 and 34 respectively.

Also Read: “We are under no illusions” – Kane Williamson’s bold claim ahead of Test series against South Africa

South Africa lose 3 wickets for 30

For South Africa, skipper Neil Brand grabbed a 6-wicket haul. However, most of his victims were tailenders and Kiwis had already done the damage. Ruan de Swardt picked 2 wickets. South Africa had a poor start to the batting, losing 3 wickets with 30 runs on the board.

They lost openers Edward Moore (23) Neil Brand (4) and Raynard van Tonder (0) in a flash. Kyle Jamieson hunted 2 wickets at the start to give a big blow to the Kiwis. Matt Henry got the third wicket. The NZ vs SA Test series will observe two games.

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Kane Williamson slammed 112 runs off 259 balls on Day 1 of New Zealand vs South Africa 1st Test at Bay Oval Stadium in Mount Maunganui. He slammed 15 fours during his innings to justify his top rank as the Test batter in ICC rankings.

The Kiwi stalwart is unbeaten on the crease and will take the strike on Day 2. After New Zealand lost both openers cheaply, Williamson showcased yet another wonderful piece of batting to outplay Proteas bowlers on his home soil.

Also Read: NZ vs SA Weather Report Live Today And Pitch Report Of Bay Oval Stadium in Mount Maunganui- 1st Test, 2024

Kane Williamson surpasses Don Bradman to join this elite list

Notably, Kane Williamson shattered his 30th century in Tests during the NZ vs SA 1st Test. With the knock, he surpassed Aussie legend Don Bradman in the total number of Test tons. Bradman slammed 29 centuries during his Test career.

Moreover, the former Kiwi skipper also joined the elite list of batters with 30 or more centuries in Test format. The 33-year-old is the 16th player ever to reach 30 centuries in Tests. Legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Jaques Kallis, Ricky Ponting, Kumar Sangakkara, and Rahul Dravid rule the elite list.

Also Read: NZ vs SA Today Match Prediction- 1st Test, Who Will Win Today’s Test Match? 2024

Kane Williamson 1st Kiwi batter to hit 30 Test tons

Notably, Kane Williamson is the first New Zealand batsman to reach the milestone of 30 tons in Tests. Among active players, Joe Root and Steve Smith are the only batters to be part of the leaderboards. Sachin Tendulkar takes the peak position with 51 Test tons. Notably, India batter Virat Kohli accounts for 29 Test tons.

Meanwhile, South Africa won the toss and opted to bowl first in NZ vs SA 1st Test. Tim Southee leads New Zealand in the match. Neil Brand is the captain of South Africa. New Zealand lost openers Tom Latham (20) and Devon Conway (1) cheaply in the match.

Later, Kane Williamson (112*) and Rachin Ravindra (118*) rocked the field with their unbeaten centuries. Till the stumps, both Kiwi batters drove the scoreboard to 258-2 in 86 overs. For South Africa, pacers Tshepo Moreki and Dane Paterson hunted 2 wickets each.

Also Read: “We are under no illusions” – Kane Williamson’s bold claim ahead of Test series against South Africa

South Africa vs New Zealand series will witness 2 Tests

The New Zealand vs South Africa Test series will observe two games. After the opening game in Mount Maunganui, both sides will clash at Seddon Park in Hamilton for the second encounter. The South Africa tour of New Zealand 2024 will witness only two Test matches.

Both teams have played 1 Test series in ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 so far. They have won 1 game and lost 1 game each and follow each other in the WTC points table with a win percentage of 50.0. South Africa is short of all senior players in the New Zealand vs South Africa Test series. They have many uncapped players in their squad.

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During a live session on his YouTube channel, de Villiers confirmed that Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli’s second child is on the way due to which he has pulled off from the first two matches of the IND vs ENG Test series.

AB de Villiers was answering the question asked by a fan on his YouTube channel. De Villiers said that it is family time for Virat Kohli and the speculations were right and his second child is on the way.

So the speculations about the 2nd child were true.Congratulations to Virat and Anushka pic.twitter.com/QH0dQ2bkMi

— Mridul (@beingmridulK) February 3, 2024

The fan asked AB de Villiers, “Hey AB sir did you speak to Virat? Is he fine? Will he be back for the next 3 Tests? India needs him and the fans are waiting for his return, how did you manage a strike rate of 147 and 47 average against Bumrah in T20s?”

Replying to the question AB de Villiers said, “Yes, so his second child is on the way, it’s family time, its a priority of his family and things are important to you. If you are not genuine to yourself, you lose track of what you are here for and why you are on earth. I think most people’s purpose is family, you cannot judge Virat for that. You miss him but he has made the right decision.”

There have been news and speculations in the market regarding Virat Kohli’s second child. However, till now there was no official confirmation by the couple on the news. Kohli also missed out on the first T20I match against Afghanistan played earlier this month due to some personal reasons. Virat Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma became parents for the first time in January 2021, when Anushka gave birth to a baby girl. The couple named her Vamika and is always kept away from the limelight.

AB de Villiers had earlier referred during a previous session that he would speak to Virat Kohli and hoped that he was doing well. de Villiers and Virat Kohli share a brilliant brotherly bond and have spent a lot of time together for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League. Both the batsmen have been the witness of some famous victories for the franchise and have written history together.

Virat Kohli on the other hand, was also named as the ODI Cricketer of the Year by the ICC for his phenomenal performance in the ODI format in 2023. Virat Kohli was the second-highest run-getter last year and slammed 6 centuries. Virat also became the first batsman on the earth to hit 50 tons in ODI cricket and overall has a total of 80 international hundreds. Kohli is currently the front-runner to level Sachin Tendulkar’s monumental figure of 100 international hundreds. Kohli was also the Player of the Tournament in the ODI World Cup 2023 and scored the most runs in the tournament.

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New Zealand is led by Tim Southee in the NZ vs SA Test series, which will observe two games. With Southee leading the side in the presence of Kane Williamson, it looks like the latter might step away from leadership duties in the longest format.

Also Read: “We are under no illusions” – Kane Williamson’s bold claim ahead of Test series against South Africa

New Zealand and South Africa have both played 1 Test series In the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 (WTC 2023-25),. New Zealand won 1 match and lost 1 in their previous Test series against Bangladesh. South Africa tied their last Test series against India 1-1.

Hence, both South Africa and New Zealand have 12 points and a win percentage of 50.0. While Proteas stay in the 2nd spot in the WTC points table, Kiwis clinch the 3rd spot. However, the result of the New Zealand vs South Africa Test series will reposition their rankings in the WTC table.

Also Read: Gary Stead provides a breakthrough update on Trent Boult’s availability for T20 World Cup 2024

South Africa and New Zealand will face each other for the first time at Bay Oval Stadium in Mount Maunganui. However, they have played 22 games in New Zealand, out of which, Proteas won 9 and lost only 2. New Zealand has only won 5 games against South Africa in Tests.

The New Zealand vs South Africa Test series will also be livestreamed in India. However, there is no information about the live telecast details on television channels. Hence, Indian fans can only enjoy live streaming of the series. Below are details of NZ vs SA live streaming and live telecast details for 1st Test.

Also Read: Keshav Maharaj predicts the finalists of ICC T20 World Cup 2024

NZ vs SA Live Streaming In India– 1st Test, When And Where To Watch New Zealand vs South Africa Live In India? 2024

When will the NZ vs SA 1st Test match begin?

The match begins at 3:30 AM IST on Sunday, February 4, 2024.

Where will the NZ vs SA 1st Test match take place?

The match will be played at Bay Oval Stadium in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand. 

Also Read: South Africa’s Kwena Maphaka Claims He Is Better Than Jasprit Bumrah In This Regard

How to Live Telecast the NZ vs SA 1st Test match on television?

The New Zealand vs South Africa Live Telecast will not be available in India. 

How to Livestream the NZ vs SA 1st Test match on mobile Online?

The NZ vs SA live streaming in India will be available on the Amazon Prime Video app and website for premium members. 

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Led by Neil Brand, South Africa boasts of a young squad in the NZ vs SA Test series. Senior members are absent from the series. Uncapped players like Neil Brand, Tshepo Moreki, Mihlali Mpongwana, Zubayr Hamza, Edward Moore, and Raynard van Tonder among others have been picked in New Zealand vs South Africa series.

They have a tough challenge against an experienced New Zealand squad in the series, who are led by senior pacer Tim Southee. Kiwi’s all key members are part of the Test series against South Africa including former skippers like Kane Williamson and Tom Latham.

Also Read: Not Yashasvi Jaiswal! Rachin Ravindra honored with the ICC Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year 2023 award

New Zealand are known for their dominance at home. However, against Proteas, they have a poor record at home. Out of 22 Tests at home, the Kiwis have won only 2 and lost 9 against South Africa. Even in the overall tally, New Zealand has won only 5 games and lost 26 out of 47 against the visitors.

Hence, while the experience and strength lie in New Zealand’s count, the stats favor South Africa. Below we take a look at how the weather and pitch might affect the NZ vs SA 1st Test at Bay Oval Stadium in Mount Maunganui.

Also Read: Gary Stead provides a breakthrough update on Trent Boult’s availability for T20 World Cup 2024

NZ vs SA Weather Report Live Today And Pitch Report Of Bay Oval Stadium in Mount Maunganui- 1st Test, 2024

NZ vs SA 1st Test 2024 begins on Sunday, February 4. Bay Oval Stadium in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand is the venue of the clash. The match starts at 3:30 AM IST.

NZ vs SA Weather Report, according to weather.com, reveals that the temperature of Mount Maunganu City on Sunday, February 4 will be 24° Celcius during the day and 13° Celcius at night. The sky will be clear during the day and night.

Also Read: “50 off just 13 balls”- Steve Stolk smacks Rishabh Pant’s record in ICC Under 19 World Cup 2024

According to the NZ vs SA Weather Report, rain chances are just 3% during the day and 6% at night. Hence, Day 1 of the New Zealand vs South Africa 1st Test won’t be affected by rain. The humidity will be 53% during the day and rise to 71% at night. The upcoming days of the Test will be sunny and won’t be affected by rain as well.

The NZ vs SA Pitch Report suggests that Bay Oval Stadium is a high-scoring ground in Tests. The average 1st and 2nd innings totals at the stadium are 359 and 404. The average 2nd innings totals are 230 and 146. The highest-ever team total at the stadium reads 615/9, posted by New Zealand against England in 2019.

Also Read: South Africa’s Kwena Maphaka Claims He Is Better Than Jasprit Bumrah In This Regard

The stadium has hosted 4 Test games so far and teams batting first and bowling first won 2 games each. New Zealand pitches usually support batters due to their short boundaries. Due to winds, seamers and spinners enjoy equal benefits.

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Tim Southee is the skipper of New Zealand in NZ vs SA 1st Test. South Africa has named a completely young squad led by uncapped members. Niel Brand is the captain of South Africa in the New Zealand vs South Africa Test series. He has no international experience so far and will make his national debut in the 1st Test.

Also Read: “We are under no illusions” – Kane Williamson’s bold claim ahead of Test series against South Africa

Despite Tim Southee leading the side, New Zealand has all key members for the opening clash like Kane Williamson, Tom Latham, Neil Wagner, and Kyle Jamieson among others. New Zealand recently showcased impeccable form against Pakistan in a T20I series, winning 4 games and losing only 1 at home.

South Africa witnessed a redevelopment of their Test side in the New Zealand vs South Africa Test series. The board has snubbed all seniors and banked upon youngsters in the series. If they succeed against the Kiwis, the Proteas might witness a complete makeover of their Test side.

Also Read: Mohammad Hafeez forced Babar Azam to play against New Zealand despite injury – Reports

The South Africa tour of New Zealand 2024 will allow both teams to better their positions in the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25. Ahead of Kiwis vs Proteas opening encounter, here we take a glance at NZ vs SA 1st Test prediction and stats in Tests.

NZ vs SA Head-to-Head Records in Tests

Also Read: Keshav Maharaj predicts the finalists of ICC T20 World Cup 2024

Recent Venue Records (Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui) 

Stats- Tests

Total matches- 4

Matches won batting first- 2

Matches won bowling first- 2

Average 1st Inns scores-359

Average 2nd Inns scores- 404

Average 3rd Inns scores- 230

Average 4th Inns scores- 146

Highest total recorded- 615/9 by New Zealand vs ENG

Lowest total recorded- 126/10 by New Zealand vs ENG

NZ vs SA Today Match Prediction- 1st Test, Who Will Win Today’s Test Match? 2024

NZ vs SA Prediction For Toss

The team winning the toss might opt to bat first. In the warm-up match, South Africa dominated the Kiwis while batting first. Hence, they might look to bat first in the NZ vs SA 1st Test too.

Moreover, Bay Oval is a good-scoring ground and batting first teams can post big totals on the board and put pressure on opposition later. The home team New Zealand will also look to bat first.

Also Read: “I said if you do that, I’ll…” – Dean Elgar reveals Virat Kohli spat at him

Predicted Scores For NZ vs SA

NZ vs SA Match Prediction- Who will pick the most wickets for South Africa in the match: Duanne Olivier or Dane Piedt 

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Stuart Broad’s comments came on the post of the media outlet’s Twitter handle. The media conglomerate wished former South African cricketer and skipper Graeme Smith on his birthday with a special post, highlighting the highs of his career.

Replying to that post, Stuart Broad commented that he hated bowling to Graeme Smith more than Yuvraj Singh. He wrote: “Hated bowling at him for than Yuvi.” 

Here’s the tweet:

Hated bowling at him for than Yuvi

— Stuart Broad (@StuartBroad8) February 1, 2024

Things got even more interesting when Graeme Smith also replied to Stuart Broad’s comments. He while quoting the former fast bowler said that he enjoyed battles with the England great.

“Loved our contests big man @StuartBroad8”

Loved our contests big man @StuartBroad8 https://t.co/dyYqe7qrhS

— Graeme Smith (@GraemeSmith49) February 1, 2024

For unversed, Graeme Smith and Stuart Broad were engaged in high-intensity battles over the years. Both were masters in their respective fields and didn’t also shy away from giving it to each other.

Graeme Smith brought his best against England and played a song of the finest innings against the Three Lions. The former South African skipper slammed 7 centuries in 21 Tests against them. He also smashed consecutive double hundreds in 2003 against them.

Stuart Broad on the other hand also had a sensational record against South Africa. The lanky pacer picked 89 wickets against the Proteas in 25 matches. He also picked two fifers against them and had an average of just 27.

I had a few more years in me – Stuart Broad

Stuart Broad announced his retirement after the Ashes 2023. He ended his career as one of the finest bowlers in the longest format of the game. But the pacer believed that he had more years left in him but he wanted to end his career on high.

The pacer also doesn’t have any regrets about calling his retirement early. Speaking recently to Sky Sports, he said:

“I believed I had a few more years in me, but I aimed to end my career on a high, in an England shirt, and on my own terms. I needed to pick the right moment to step away.”

“So far, I don’t have any regrets, indicating to me deep down that it was the correct choice. Since my teammates haven’t stepped onto the field in their England whites and caps, I haven’t experienced a moment of realization like, ‘Wow, I won’t ever do that again.”

Stuart Broad ended his career with 604 wickets to go with 20 five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket hauls in the matches he played. He played a huge role in England making a great force in Test cricket. He had a fairytale ending to his career as he hit a six on the last ball he faced and picked wicket on the last ball he bowled in his Test career. He played all five Tests in Ashes 2023 and bagged 22 wickets at an average of 28.41.

The post “Hated bowling at him more than Yuvraj Singh” – Stuart Broad’s stunning revelation on ‘toughest batter’ appeared first on CricketAddictor.

New Zealand will be hosting South Africa for the two-match series from 4th February. The first match will be played at Tauranga followed by the second match slated to take place on 13th February in Hamilton. The series no doubt will be crucial for both the teams in the context of the ICC World Test Championship. 

South Africa have named a second-string team for the Test series against New Zealand because of the players being engaged in SA20 2024. On the other hand, visitors have named a full-strength squad and the series will also mark the return of Kane Williamson following the injury he faced in the latter half of the T20 series against Pakistan. 

Kane Williamson no doubt will be crucial for the team in the series. If New Zealand have to fancy their chances of winning the series against South Africa, the batter no doubt will be crucial and will have to play a key role in the series. 

Kane Williamson strongly believes that the upcoming series will be competitive as South African players are good. He said that they will be focusing on their cricket. Talking about the same ahead of the first match, he explained:

“We are under no illusions that it is going to be a tough contest for sure. They are all very good players and we just want to keep bringing the focus back to our cricket. Any win anywhere is crucial. That’s why it is difficult to micro-manage a Test championship campaign. 

“It’s such a long period of time, and the games can come a bit sporadically with the Test cricket. So it’s trying to just connect together as a group, and focus on the cricket that we want to play. That gives us the best chance [to win] and try and do that for long periods of time. That’s the focus going into the series.”

My hamstring is good, it’s progressed well – Kane Williamson on his injury 

Kane Williamson, who is the No.1 ranked Test batter, also opened up about his injury. He said that he was looking forward to joining the team and playing together after a while. He added:

“My hamstring is good, it’s progressed well in the last couple of weeks. Feeling good, and looking forward to getting back to training and joining up with the team. The weather has been incredible. 

“Extremely hot, so yes, I am confident. And like I said will just be nice to join back up with the side and I think all the guys are really looking forward to getting back together as a Test team.” 

New Zealand squad: Tim Southee, Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke (second Test only), Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson, Will Young

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Keshav Maharaj said that the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies will be a very important one for South Africa who will be aiming to land their first-ever ICC silverware. The Proteas are among the few teams in international cricket to have never won an international tournament even after playing very good cricket in a particular event.

Take their ICC 2023 Cricket World Cup campaign for example. South Africa were among the strongest teams on paper before the CWC and they reflected that with extraordinary performances on the field. Along with India and Australia, the Proteas suffered fewer amount of losses which came against the eventual runners-up and the Netherlands.

They played a very aggressive brand of cricket throughout the tournament and were considered as favorites heading into the knockout phases. In terms of bowling as well as batting, South Africa were almost untouchable until the semi-finals arrived where they once again proved why they are called the chokers of world cricket.

Even after removing the entire Aussie batting line-up, South Africa lost by 3 wickets in the semis at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens. Off-spinner Keshav Maharaj was there to experience and see what it’s like to be a part of a team that is infamous for its inability to handle pressure in the crunch phases of the game.

In a recent interview, Maharaj claimed that it (chokers tag) will be something that they will try to rectify and hopes that South Africa can take on India in the T20 WC final on 29 June in Barbados.

“We always go there with a directive in mind to try and win the World Cup. Hopefully, we can rectify that. It’ll be amazing to have a South Africa Vs India final. After the round robins of the 2023 cricket world cup, just hearing the locals in India saying that they want a South Africa-India final.” – Keshav Maharaj said.

Keshav Maharaj Claims SA20 Is Reaching The Level Of Indian Premier League

Keshav Maharaj might have never played and experienced the atmosphere and competition of the IPL, he still believes that South Africa’s domestic franchise league – the SAT20 is closing in on the level of the world’s richest cricketing league in terms of skills because revenue-wise, the league has no chance of competing against IPL and that’s not just for SAT20 but for every T20 league around the world.

“The standards are quite high in the SA T20 league, just looking at the internationals that are coming and playing across the brand and style of cricket. 200 is being chased down with ease these days. From a skill point of view, we are closing in on the IPL. It’s only been our second year.” – Keshav Maharaj concluded.

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Dean Elgar retired from international cricket after the second Test against India earlier this month. And after he was dismissed in the second innings of the game, Virat Kohli made sure that he got a fitting farewell. He stopped his teammates from celebrating Dean Elgar’s dismissal and walked up to him to share a hug with him. After the game, the former India skipper also gifted the ex-Proteas opener a signed jersey.

While Dean Elgar shared a memorable moment with Kohli in his last Test, things were very different when they two faced each other for the first time in 2015. Recalling South Africa’s tour of India in 2015, the left-handed batsman revealed that Virat Kohli had tried his best to get under his skin and even spat at him.

“Those wickets were jokes. Like playing on that… that surface there. And I came into bat and I was actually like holding my own against Ashwin and what’s his name Jeja, Jeja, Jeja (Ravindra Jadeja) (smiles) and Kohli, he like spat at me. I said to him if you do that, I’ll ******g ***** you with this bat,” said Dean Elgar while speaking on Banter with The Boys podcast.

When the host asked the opener whether Virat Kohli understood the South African profanity, he said: “Yes, he did because de Villiers was his teammate at RCB, so he understood. And I said if you do that, I’ll … on this field, I’ll absolutely knock you out. And then [he said] ‘Hey **** you, **** you’ (mimicking the Indian) but barking up the wrong tree yeah. Anyways, we are in India so you got to be a little bit cautious.”

 

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Dean Elgar retires:

Dean Elgar brought down curtains on his Test career after the two-match home series against India. He starred in the first Test, playing a stunning knock of 185 as South Africa won the game by an innings and 32 runs. However, India defeated the Proteas in the second Test to level the series. Elgar retired after playing 86 Tests and scoring 5,347 runs with the help of 14 centuries and 23 half-centuries.

The post “I said if you do that, I’ll…” – Dean Elgar reveals Virat Kohli spat at him appeared first on CricketAddictor.

The South Africa vs Scotland encounter took place on Saturday, January 27. South Africa won the toss and opted to bowl against the European team. Batting first in the match, Scotland piled up a decent total of 269-9.

However, South Africa chased down the target with ease by 7 wickets with the help of hard-hitting opener Steve Stolk. His fast-pace batting was almost enough to grab a victory in the match for South Africans.

Also Read: After Rashid Khan, Lungi Ngidi Withdraws from PSL 2024 – Reports

Steve Stolk Smacks Rishabh Pant’s Record Of Fastest Fifty

During the encounter against Scotland, the 17-year-old batter Steve Stolk reached a half-century off just 13 balls to script history. During his knock, Proteas opener slammed 7 boundaries and 8 sixes. Hitting 86 runs off 37 balls, Stolk registered a superb strike rate of 232+. He also led his team to victory while chasing.

Steve Stolk broke Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant’s record of the fastest fifty in the U19 World Cup. The Indian star achieved the feat off 24 balls in the 2016 edition of the U19 World Cup. Pant slammed a half-century off just 24 balls during an encounter against Bangladesh in the tournament.

Also Read: NZ vs SA: New Zealand Test squad for South Africa announced, massive update arrives on Kane Williamson’s future

South Africa Outplay Scotland To Reach Top Of Points Table

Talking about the match, Jamie Dunk smacked a stupendous 90-run knock for Scotland in 1st innings. Scotland skipper Owen Gould mustered 97 runs. Losing 9 wickets, the Scottish team reached a respectable total of 269-9 in 50 overs.

For South Africa U19, Riley Norton hunted 3 wickets while Kwena Maphaka picked 2 scalps. During the chase, Steve Stolk set the field on fire with 37-ball-86. Later, Dewan Marais and David Teeger added unbeaten 80* and 43* respectively to drive Proteas to a powerful victory by 7 wickets.

For Scotland, Nikhil Koteeswaran (2 wickets) and Adi Hegde (1 wicket) were the only successful bowlers. With the victory against Scotland, South Africa also reached the top spot of Group B points table.

Also Read: Temba Bavuma stripped off South Africa’s captaincy? Allan Donald reveals new captain

Scotland Finish In Last Spot In Group B

Notably, winning the match within 27 overs against Scotland helped South Africa to grab the best net run rate than every other opponent in their group.  Out of 3 games, South Africa has won 2 matches and lost 1. With 4 points, they enjoy the peak position in their group after the group stage.

West Indies and England also have 4 points table. While West Indies take the 2nd spot, England take the 3rd spot. Scotland failed to win any game and ended in the last spot in the Group B points table of the Under 19 World Cup 2024.

The post “50 off just 13 balls”- Steve Stolk smacks Rishabh Pant’s record in ICC Under 19 World Cup 2024 appeared first on CricketAddictor.

As per a source who told Pakistani news channel Geo News, Lungi Ngidi didn’t receive the No Objection Certificate from Cricket South Africa. The major reason behind the delay in his NOC certificate was the fitness concerns with Ngidi. Ngidi has been in and out of his national team due to his fitness issues.

Apart from Lungi Ngidi, big names such as Kieron Pollard, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, and Tom Curran have already been ruled out of the Pakistan Super League 2024. Every team will be picking their replacement player from the supplementary and replacement draft on January 29, 2024. Every PSL franchise will pick their replacement players under the silver, gold, and platinum drafts.

Lungi Ngidi opts out of the Pakistan Super League 2024

Big upset for Peshawar Zalmi
جنوبی افریقہ کے لونگی نگیڈی پی ایس ایل 9 کے لیے دستیاب نہیں ہونگے. لونگی نگیڈی نے پشاور زلمی کو دستیاب نہ ہونے سے متعلق آگاہ کردیا. لونگی نگیڈی کی جگہ متبادل کھلاڑی کو اب پشاور زلمی پک کرے گی.
, پی ایس ایل 9 میں کل 9 کھلاڑی ایسے ہیں جنکو عارضی اور… pic.twitter.com/sidVt8TF64

— Qadir Khawaja (@iamqadirkhawaja) January 26, 2024

West Indies cricketer Kieron Pollard is expected to miss the Pakistan Super League 2024 due to his commitments with the Mumbai Indians for the Indian Premier League. Karachi Kings are expected to find his replacement from the Platinum player draft.

Apart from Lungi Ngidi, Peshawar Zalmi will also have to look for a replacement for Afghanistan spin duo Naveen-ul-Haq and Noor Ahmad. On the other hand, other Afghanistan leg spinner Rashid Khan withdrew from the PSL 9 as he will continue to rehab from his back injury and will not play for the Lahore Qalandars. Other than Rashid, Qalandars will have to find a replacement for Dan Lawrence, who was called up for England’s national duty.

Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasarangha will also be missing the first five games of the Pakistan Super League, and Quetta Gladiators, will have to find his temporary replacement.

The ninth edition of the Pakistan Super League is all set to kickstart on February 17, 2024. The tournament will be played across five different venues which include Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Rawalpindi. The final of the tournament will be played on March 18 at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi.

Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars have won two titles each out of the eight editions, while Quetta Gladiators, Peshawar Zalmi, Karachi Kings, and Multan Sultans have each won one. With 113 wickets, veteran Pakistani bowler Wahab Riaz leads the tournament in wicket-taking, while Babar Azam leads with 2935 runs scored.

Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars are once again the favorites to win the Pakistan Super League 2024.

The post After Rashid Khan, Lungi Ngidi withdraws from PSL 2024 – Reports appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Veteran pacer Tim Southee will lead the squad in their first home series of the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC). The home team has selected a strong squad for the series, while South Africa has named a second-string squad led by the uncapped Neil Brand.

Rachin Ravindra Set To Play His First Test In New Zealand Since 2022

Rachin Ravindra, the winner of the Emerging Player of the Year award, is preparing for his first home Test since 2022. The 24-year-old made his Test debut in 2021-22 against India. He last played for New Zealand in the first Test against Bangladesh that summer.

Glenn Phillips is set to make his first Test appearance on home soil. Phillips played both Test matches in the team’s last series against Bangladesh. He earned the Player of the Match award in the second Test in Mirpur, where the Black Caps secured a four-wicket win.

Tom Blundell and Kyle Jamieson, who are currently dealing with injuries, have been included in the squad. However, Henry Nicholls and the spin duo of Ajaz Patel and Ish Sodhi, who played in the red-ball series against Bangladesh, have been excluded from the team.

Uncapped player Will O’Rourke has been included in the squad for the second Test. Meanwhile, all-rounder Mitch Santner retained his spot in the squad due to his noteworthy performances with both the ball and the bat during the previous series in Bangladesh.

The Proteas Are A Highly Competitive Team – Gary Stead

New Zealand head coach Gary Stead emphasized that they won’t underestimate the visiting South African side, despite the absence of some key players. Stead noted that New Zealand has never won a Test series against them at home or away.

“It’s an honour to be involved in any Test match and I know the players are looking forward to the start of a big Test summer – in what is a big year of Test cricket home and away. The Proteas are a highly competitive team across formats and, having never won a Test series against them home or away, we expect two stern challenges,” Stead said.

Rachin Ravindra Has Really Impressed Us – Gary Stead

Gary Stead highlighted Will O’Rourke’s impressive transition from domestic cricket to the international level. Stead also praised Rachin Ravindra’s contributions over the past year in international cricket.

“Will O’Rourke has impressed us in stepping up from domestic cricket to New Zealand A and then international level. Rachin Ravindra is another player who has really impressed us with his contributions to the team over the past 12 months in international cricket. We’ve been particularly pleased with his ability to adapt and learn in different roles.”

New Zealand squad: Tim Southee, Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke (second Test only), Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson, Will Young

Also read: “This Is Selfishness” – Sikander Bakht Blasts Mohammad Rizwan For 63-Ball 90* vs New Zealand

The post NZ vs SA: New Zealand Test squad for South Africa announced, massive update arrives on Kane Williamson’s future appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Following his title-winning run with SunRisers Eastern Cape, Aiden Markram was also named as the captain of IPL franchise SunRisers Hyderabad. He has tasted a lot of success as a captain and has always been a great leader on the field.

It is not just in the T20 leagues that Aiden Markram has flourished as a leader. Playing for South Africa at the international level, he’s led the Proteas on several occasions.

He was the deputy of Temba Bavuma in the 2023 ODI World Cup and used to lead the side whenever Temba Bavuma was unavailable due to fitness concerns. He has been projected as the next captain of the South Africa national cricket team and there is no doubt that he can take the side to great heights.

Former South African legend Allan Donald endorses the 29-year-old’s claim to take over the reins, especially in white-ball cricket. He talked about Markram’s potential as a leader and lauded his calm and collective nature on the field. Allan Donald also said that Aiden Markram has a natural leadership in him and already looks very experienced in terms of captaincy.

“He’s (Markram) been long talked about as a potential captain. There’s no doubt and even the CEO said that Aiden Markram is going to be the next South African captain, maybe in all three formats – not what really happens these days. Players, especially captains, take a lot of pressure on themselves, captaining all three formats,” Allan Donald said.

“In terms of white (limited-overs cricket), there’s no doubt (about him), I just love his demeanour. He (Markram) is calm, he is collected, and he looks like he has captained for a very long time. I think he just has it in him. He has natural leadership in him,” Allan Donald added.

Aiden Markram Can Also Lead South Africa In Tests, Says Allan Donald

Allan Donald, who played 72 Tests and 164 ODIs between 1992 and 2003, also feels that Aiden Markram is all set to take over South Africa’s charge in red-ball cricket. Temba Bavuma is the current skipper of South Africa in Test cricket but Aiden Markram has all the abilities to lead the side in all three formats.

He showed his potential against India in the recently concluded two-match Test series where he scored a magnificent century in Cape Town on a difficult track.

“Whenever he (Markram) has taken over in the white ball format from Bavuma, I think he’s done a fantastic job. I just think what he is doing in SA20 with aplomb, I just love the way he goes about, he has his way. I think captains come and go and South Africa needs him in all white-ball formats and maybe even as a Test captain. I think that he’ll be ready to do so. There’s no question about it,” Allan Donald said.

SunRisers Eastern Cape are third on the points table in the SA20 League with two wins in four matches suffering just one defeat and one match ending in no result. Aiden Markram led the franchise to the title in the inaugural season of the SA20 League and is also looking to defend the title this season.

Aiden Markram won the Under-19 World Cup as South Africa’s Captain in 2014 and first led the senior Men’s team against India in the 2018 ODI series after Faf du Plessis was injured.

The post Temba Bavuma stripped off South Africa’s captaincy? Allan Donald reveals new captain appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Kwena Maphaka registered a sensational 5-wicket haul and was adjudged as the man of the match for figures of 5/38 while defending a total of 286. The youngster generated raw pace and bewildered the opposing batters with his exquisite line length as well as bouncers.

He is among the next generation of deadly South Africa pacers and continues the lineage of Shaun Pollock, Allan Donald, Makhaya Ntini, Dale Steyn, and Kagiso Rabada among others. And Maphaka showed glimpses of possibly going on to become one of the best in the world yesterday.

One of the most noticeable things about him was his celebration after picking wickets. It clearly resembled to that of India’s star pacer Jasprit Bumrah who usually spreads his arm wide in a gesture that has a lot of cryptic messages. It will be fair to say that Kwena Maphaka is somehow following the footsteps of Bumrah at least in terms of his pace and celebration.

While speaking to the ICC after the match, Maphaka claimed that he had asked his brother to suggest a celebration for him before the World Cup and that was when he decided to pull off the Bumrah celebration. “I actually asked my brother for a celebration to give me just before the World Cup. And he just said I have no clue. I don’t know. I said you know what, that sounds good. Let me go with the “I don’t know” celebration,” Kwena Maphaka told ICC.

Maphaka’s 5-wicket haul came in the back of South African batters posting a mammoth 286 for West Indies to chase. Middle-order batter Dewan Marais’ 65 off 38 and top-order batters Lhuan-dre Pretorius and David Teeger scored 40 and 44 while captain Juan James finishing act of 47 off 54 helped the hosts secure a very safe total.

In response, the West Indies batting line-up did not start off well and lost 6 wickets for just 190. It took a brilliant 96-ball 130 from wicket-keeper Jewel Andrew to help them get close to the total before eventually getting all out for 254.

“Hopefully I’m Better Than You” – Kwena Maphaka’s Message To Bumrah

The reason why West Indies batters failed to start well was Kwena Maphaka who was breathing fire right from his first ball. He led to the removal of the Windies top 3 for a combined 15 runs before completing a fifer with the wickets of 2 tailenders.

While discussing about his Bumrah celebration, Maphaka also gave a message to the Indian pacer claiming that hopefully, he is better than him before speaking about the win against West Indies. “Jasprit Bumrah you’re a great bowler. Hopefully, I am better than you.”

“Its definitely a great way to get the World cup started off. We knew we had it in us. We were just waiting for that performance. I am happy it could come out today and hopefully a few more,” Kwena Maphaka concluded. 

Meanwhile, South Africa’s next U-19 CWC clash will see them lock horns against England on January 23.

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