NZ vs SA, 1st Test, Fantasy Cricket Tips, Playing 11, Pitch Report, and other updates.

The 2-match Test series between host New Zealand and South Africa will begin on Thursday. The first NZ vs SA test match will be played at the Hagley Oval, Christchurch. It will be a new challenge for the Kiwis who will be playing without the experienced duo of Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor. New Zealand had drawn the previous Test series against Bangladesh 1-1 last month. Trent Boult is on Paternity leave and Matt Henry will replace him in the squad.

The South Africa cricket team, on the other hand, played a great home Test series against the mighty Indian side, which they won by 2-1. Keegan Peterson who played a vital role will miss the New Zealand tour. Sarel Erwee and Zubayr Hamza are in the line to replace him at the No.3 spot. With 13 series wins against New Zealand in the longest format, they have an excellent record against them. Not many players have played earlier in New Zealand, and it will be a testing time for them.

Match Details

Date: 17-21 Feb 2022

Time: 3:30 AM IST and 11:00 AM Local Time

Venue: Hagley Oval, Christchurch

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video

Pitch Report

The surface here at Hagley Oval is expected to be a green top for this match. Seamers will definitely enjoy these conditions and cause problems for the batters. The batters will be looking to spend some time on the wicket before going for their shots. The team winning the toss would like to bowl first and use the freshness of the wicket on the first day.

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Weather Report

The conditions will be generally clear on the first two days of the NZ vs SA match. However, rain is expected on the third and fourth day of the match. The average temperature will be hovering around 21 degrees Celcius.

NZ vs SA: Dream 11 Top Picks

Tom Latham will continue to lead New Zealand in the absence of injured Kane Williamson. He did a great job in the previous Test series against Bangladesh where he scored 267 runs with the highest score of 252.

Test specialist Dean Elgar will be eager to make an impact right from the start. He is a strong competitor and has the huge ability to play long innings. He has scored 4582 runs in 72 matches at an average of 39.84.

Marco Jansen was highly impressive in his debut Test series against India. In 3 matches, he has scalped 19 wickets with the best of figures of 4 for 31 in an innings and scored 60 runs with the bat

Kyle Jamieson will be the key bowler for New Zealand. He had a good Test series against Bangladesh where he chipped in with 8 wickets. Not to forget he can add valuable runs down the order as well.

Dream 11 Fantasy Team 1 for NZ vs SA

Wicketkeepers: Kyle Verreynne

Batsmen: Will Young, Devon Conway, Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma

All-rounders: Daryll Mitchell, Marco Jansen

Bowlers: Kyle Jamieson, Neil Wagner, Kagiso Rabada, Duanne Olivier

NZ vs SA: Dream 11 Captain and Vice-captain choice for today’s match.

Captain: Devin Conway

Vice-captain: Kagiso Rabada

Dream 11 Fantasy Team 2 for NZ vs SA

Wicketkeepers: Tom Blundell

Batsmen: Tom Latham,Dean Elgar, Temba Bavuma. Rassie van der Dussen, Henry Nicholls

All-rounders: Marco Jansen

Bowlers: Kyle Jamieson, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Tim Southee

NZ vs SA: Dream 11 Captain and Vice-captain choice for today’s match.

Captain: Marco Jansen

Vice-captain: Kyle Jamieson

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Probable XI for NZ vs SA

New Zealand: Tom Latham (c), Will Young, Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell (wk), Daryll Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra / Colin de Grandhomme, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Matt Henry

South Africa: Dean Elgar (c), Aiden Markram, Sarel Erwee / Zubayr Hamza, Rassie van der Dussen, Temba Bavuma, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Duanne Olivier, Lungi Ngidi  

Who Will Win – Match Prediction

Looking at the current form and team combination, South Africa is the favorite for this game. Making a comeback series win against a strong Indian side has given this South African team a huge confidence booster. However, the Kiwis will be looking to take advantage of the home conditions and will give a tough contest to the Proteas.

Disclaimer: The team is built upon the author’s understanding, analysis, and instincts. You can choose your team by considering the points above and making your own decision accordingly.