ICC World Cup 2019: Match 25, New Zealand vs South Africa – Statistical Preview

New Zealand is currently positioned at No.2 in the point table with a hat-trick of wins followed by a washout against India that fetched them seven points. The Kiwi wins came against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan the relatively weaker sides in the competition. Their first big challenge will be against South Africa that is reeling in the bottom half. The Saffers suffered three straight defeats before a washout against the Windies gave them the first points. A convincing 9-wicket win against Afghanistan on Saturday helped the Faf du Plessis-led side to open their winning count in the tournament.

All the key stats and numbers ahead of South Africa’s key game against New Zealand:

1 – This game against South Africa will be New Zealand’s first International contest against a non-Asian team in more than a year. The last time the Kiwis played an International game against a team which is not from the Asian continent was during February-April at home against England. Since then, New Zealand featured in 17 ODIs, 7 Tests and 7 T20Is; all against either India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.

4 – New Zealand defeated South Africa in each of the last four World Cup meetings – 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015. The Blackcaps lead the head to head with South Africa in CWC by 5-2 as they won in 1992 in addition to the previous four while the Saffers were victorious in 1996 and 1999.

6 – Faf du Plessis has scored six fifties in 15 innings against New Zealand in ODI format. The South African skipper scored 569 runs against the Kiwis at an average of 43.76.

8 – Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor have added 80+ runs in each of their last eight partnerships in ODIs on England soil. In nine ODI partnerships in England since 2015, the Williamson-Taylor pair added 941 at an average of 104.55 with four century stands and another four partnerships between 80 and 100. Williamson scored 40+ runs in all those nine innings while Taylor scored at least 39.

9 – New Zealand won each of their last ten World Cup matches while chasing; the 2nd longest such streak for any team. Australia’s streak of 19 consecutive successive CWC chases is the longest which was halted by India in this tournament only.

1983 – Last time New Zealand won an ODI in Birmingham was back during the 1983 World Cup. Since then, they played seven ODIs at this venue losing in three of them while another four ended without a result. New Zealand faced South Africa in the 1999 CWC at this venue and lost by 74 runs. It is the only time the two teams met in an ODI in England.

2991 – David Miller needs nine more runs to complete 3000 runs in the ODI cricket. Miller will be the 17th player to aggregate 3000 ODI runs for South Africa when he scores those nine runs.

7976 – Runs Hashim Amla has scored in the 175 innings he has batted in his ODI career thus far. He needs 24 more runs to become the quickest to 8000 ODI runs in the next six innings. Amla missed out on Kohli’s record having scored only 66 runs in four innings during the ongoing tournament when he needed 90 from a maximum of four innings.