Tuesday 24 March 2015 06:09, UK
Tuesday's World Cup semi-final promises to be a barnstorming clash as two of world cricket's most aggressive sides bid for a place in Sunday's final.
New Zealand and South Africa are no strangers to the knock-out stages of cricket's showpiece one-day event, but neither side has ever made the final.
Indeed, the Proteas' quarter-final win over Sri Lanka was their first-ever win outside the group stage at a World Cup, but their tag as 'chokers' will return should they fail to beat their hosts at Eden Park.
Such sentiment was spelled out for AB de Villiers' team by the country's sports minister Fikile Mbalula before the tournament.
"We don't want you in the World Cup to add numbers and just become a bunch of losers," Mbalula said at the team's farewell function.
By contrast, New Zealand will be playing their seventh semi-final having lost the previous six. They beat South Africa in an ill-tempered quarter-final four years ago and captain Brendon McCullum - who has scored 269 tournament runs at an astonishing strike rate of 185.5 - expects a memorable encounter.
"Both teams are playing aggressively, playing an entertaining style of cricket and both teams are trying to win key moments rather than not lose them," he said. "Tomorrow will be a great spectacle and I expect the team that is able to handle the crunch situations the best will come out on top.
"We'll have one team that's never made it to the final celebrating and the others will take it in their stride."
We have been through a lot of hardship in the past with our World Cup game but we feel very fresh and are very excited for tomorrow.
Taking a loss in stride would be difficult for South Africa given their history of bungled run-chases and inglorious World Cup defeats.
"We have been through a lot of hardship in the past with our World Cup game but we feel very fresh and are very excited for tomorrow," said de Villiers.
"We have been working toward a game like tomorrow for a few years. We are just going to play a good game of cricket. If we do that, we will come out on top."
Much could come down to the toss. South Africa lost twice in the group stage to India and Pakistan, on both occasions when they were chasing totals, but in the other four games they batted first and posted more than 330 each time - twice passing 400.
De Villiers expects to have 15 fit players to choose from, with Vernon Philander back in full training and he admits selection will be a difficult task.
"There are a few boys who have put up their hands in the World Cup," he said. "It's really difficult, especially after a win like that last one (against Sri Lanka)."
New Zealand will make at least one change, with paceman Adam Milne ruled out with a heel injury.
Selectors must decide whether to throw in Matt Henry - who has been brought into the squad - as a like-for-like replacement or recall Kyle Mills or Mitchell McClenaghan.
With two of the tournament's outstanding performers in McCullum and de Villiers going head-to-head, it is tempting to bill it as a duel between the two skippers, but as McCullum is keen to point out, his side have had contributions throughout the team, not least Martin Guptill's incredible 237no against the West Indies in the quarter-final.
"Whoever gets the nod, we've got full confidence they will be able to go out there and perform their skills and fit into the game plan appropriately," he said.
Whoever does perform, the opportunity for glory awaits with a date at the 100,000-set MCG against Australia or India in the final.
Watch the World Cup semi-final between New Zealand and South Africa live on Sky Sports World Cup, channel 403, from 12.30am on Tuesday.
