New Zealand vs South Africa 2nd Test, Day 3: Preview, Prediction, and Fantasy Tips
NZ vs SA 2nd Test Match Winning Prediction
SA 80% | NZ 20% |
The second Test between New Zealand and South Africa is evenly poised after two days of play at Seddon Park in Hamilton. With five wickets in hand, the visitors lead by 211 runs, but the hosts have the momentum after taking three wickets on Day 2. The third day of play could decide whether or not the match and series will be won or lost.
NZ vs SA 2nd Test Match Analysis and Prediction
The South African team began the day at 220 for 6, with Shaun von Berg and Ruan de Swardt. New Zealand’s pace attack, led by Kyle Jamieson and Tim Southee, struck early and removed both batsmen quickly, adding 49 runs for the seventh wicket on Day 1. Southee took care of Kagiso Rabada to wrap up the innings for 263. In dismissing Keshav Maharaj, Jamieson also took Kagiso Rabada for his fourth five-wicket wicket in Tests.
After losing Tom Latham and Will Young in the first hour, New Zealand’s reply could have been better. After Rabada caught behind Latham, Young was caught lbw by Lungi Ngidi. After 74 runs between Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, both fell in the second session. Williamson was bowled by Maharaj for 43, while Taylor was caught at slip by Ngidi for 38.
Nicholls and Watling then added 92 runs for the fifth wicket to help New Zealand reach 200 runs. Nicholls went his ninth Test fifty and looked good, while Watling played a gritty knock. Ngidi removed Nicholls for 68 and Jamieson for a duck in the final session, resulting in South Africa striking back. As New Zealand ended the day at 243 for 7, trailing by 20 runs, Watling and Wagner remained unbeaten on 42.
Both teams would seek to win on the third day to gain the upper hand. As New Zealand looks to extend Watling and Wagner’s partnership, South Africa will aim to finish the innings quickly and set an ambitious target, while New Zealand hopes to gain a first-innings lead. As the match progresses, the pitch is expected to provide more support to the spinners, which could make batting difficult in the fourth innings. In addition, the weather forecast is favorable, with no interruptions expected due to rain.
We predict South Africa will have a slight edge over New Zealand, as they have a lead of 211 runs and three wickets in hand. However, the match is still open and could go either way on the third day.
Fantasy Tips
To help you choose your team for the third day of the second Test match between New Zealand and South Africa, here are some tips and suggestions:
Wicketkeeper
As the only wicketkeeper remaining in the match, BJ Watling is the obvious choice for the wicketkeeper position. He is also a reliable batsman capable of scoring substantial runs in the lower order of the batting order.
Batsmen
Four batsmen are recommended for your fantasy team: Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Ruan de Swardt, and David Bedingham. Williamson and Taylor are the best batsmen for their respective teams, while de Swardt and Bedingham played well in the first innings.
All-rounders
Are you considering Rachin Ravindra and Shaun von Berg in your fantasy team? Ravindra took three wickets in the first innings for New Zealand, while von Berg scored 37 and also took a wicket.
Bowlers
Among the four bowlers you should select for your fantasy team are Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Lungi Ngidi, and Keshav Maharaj. Jamieson and Southee shared nine wickets between them in the first innings, while Ngidi and Maharaj took three wickets in the second.
NZ vs SA 2nd Test Match Venue Details
A good Test cricket venue, Seddon Park in Hamilton, hosts the match. A flat pitch is usually good for batting but also provides some assistance to seamers and spinners as the game progresses. At this venue, the average first-innings score is 324, while the average second-innings score is 293. In 2010, New Zealand scored 563 runs against Bangladesh at this venue, while India scored 93 runs against New Zealand in 2002.
NZ vs SA 2nd Test Match Team Preview
One change was made to the New Zealand team playing XI from the first Test, with Will Young replacing Devon Conway, who was ruled out due to a hamstring injury. Young opened the batting with Tom Latham, while Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, and BJ Watling formed the middle order. The left-arm spinner, Rachin Ravindra, retained his place after debuting in the first Test. Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, and Ajaz Patel round out the bowling attack.
A change was also made to South Africa’s playing XI, with Lungi Ngidi replacing Anrich Nortje. To the team’s workload management policy, Nortje was rested. The pacemen were led by Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, and Keshav Maharaj, while Keegan Petersen, Rassie van der Dussen, David Bedingham, and Ruan de Swardt led the spinners. Aiden Markram and Dean Elgar opened the batting, while Keegan Petersen, Rassie van der Dussen, David Bedingham, and Ruan de Swardt followed them. Captain and wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock batted at number seven, followed by all-rounder Shaun von Berg.
Team Squads
New Zealand Squad
Kane Williamson ©, Tom Latham, Will Young, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Ajaz Patel, Tom Blundell, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Doug Bracewell, Jacob Duffy, Glenn Phillips
South Africa Squad
Quinton de Kock (c & wk), Aiden Markram, Dean Elgar, Keegan Petersen, Rassie van der Dussen, David Bedingham, Ruan de Swardt, Shaun von Berg, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Temba Bavuma, Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen, Dwaine Pretorius, Lizaad Williams, George Linde, Kyle Verreynne, Beuran Hendricks, Sarel Erwee
Pitch and Weather Conditions
At Seddon Park, the pitch will favour the favour for the first two days but gradually deteriorate and offer spinners more turn and bounce. In addition to getting some movement with the new ball, the seamers can reverse swing with the old ball. Batters must be patient and watchful, especially in the fourth innings, when the pitch becomes difficult to bat.
On the third day, the weather should remain mostly sunny, with no rain interruptions expected. The temperature may reach 23 degrees Celsius, with a humidity of 64%. Wind gusts may exceed 25 km/h.
Live Streaming in India
On SonyLIV’s app and website in India, you can also watch the second Test between New Zealand and South Africa live.
Winning Prediction
As a result of two days of play, New Zealand and South Africa are evenly poised in the second Test, with both teams having a chance to win. While South Africa leads by 211 runs and has three wickets in hand, New Zealand has the momentum after taking three wickets in the final session of Day 2. To decide the match’s outcome, both teams will look to gain an advantage on the third day. South Africa has a slight edge over New Zealand, leading by 211 runs and having three wickets in hand. However, the match could still go either way, depending on how the third day goes.
Series Highlights
The second Test is the final match of the two-match series between New Zealand and South Africa, which is currently tied at 1-1. New Zealand won the first Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington by seven wickets. Tim Southee took six wickets in the match, bowling South Africa out for 157 and 165. Kane Williamson tallied 82 in the first innings, and Ross Taylor added 40 not out in the second. New Zealand scored 249 and 74 for 3.
New Zealand and South Africa are competing in the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle, where both teams are aiming to improve their rankings.
Join us at Telegram and visit us frequently at cricbattips for latest sports news and most accurate predictions.
Post Comment