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The Black Caps celebrate a wicket - Source: Photosport -
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Black Caps v South Africa Twenty20 International at Eden Park, Wednesday, February 22, 7pm
Head to head: Seven matches played, New
Zealand two wins, South Africa five wins.
Last clash: South Africa won by eight
wickets.
TAB odds: South Africa $1.67, New Zealand
$2.10.
Few sporting venues in the world are so heavily geared towards a single sport, while still being deemed multipurpose.
As a rugby ground, Eden Park is perhaps the fortress in world sport. As a cricket venue, it leaves much to be desired.
A drop-in pitch that rarely does bowlers any favours aside, the miniscule straight boundaries turn mediocre hitting into scoreboard gold - particularly in the games shorter formats.
Fast bowlers are tonked relentlessly, but at least they can use a hard deck with decent bounce to their advantage on occasion. Spinners, who usually struggle to elicit turn from the drop-in surface, have it far worse.
Poor lofted shots and mis-hits sail over the fence as the slow bowlers watch on haplessly.
Given Richard Levi's now famed hitting power, the Black Caps must find a bowling plan that can cripple his strokeplay.
At Seddon Park, Levi's strength was on the legside, where he hit almost all his 13 sixes - a fact the Black Caps were not wise to during the onslaught.
The New Zealand attack must be willing to alter their lines, to force Levi to hit to his less-favoured side - perhaps by coming around the wicket.
Their lengths must be spot on too. Tim Southee was once one of the best yorker bowlers in the shortest format, but his blockhole-hitting prowess has fallen away dramatically in the past year.
The New Zealand batting order seems settled, but Jesse Ryder's return has caused a slight upheaval as John Wright decides where to play him.
Expect the Rob Nicol - Martin Guptill association to continue at
the top of the order, with Ryder fitting in at no.4.
Tip: South Africa
Black Caps: B McCullum (c), M Bates, D Bracewell, C de Grandhomme, J Franklin, M Guptill, R Hira, N McCullum, K Mills, R Nicol, J Oram, J Ryder, T Southee, K Williamson.
South Africa: AB de Villiers (c), H Amla, J Botha, M de Lange, J Duminy, C Ingram, R Levi, J Morkel, M Morkel, J Ontong, W Parnell, R Peterson, J Theron, L Tsotsobe.
