CAPE TOWN – South Africans are accustomed to facing New Zealand as the number one-ranked team in the world at Eden Park.
Customarily though that applies to rugby and not cricket, with the All Blacks being the dominant team for the past decade. But that is exactly what the Proteas will be up against on Friday when they meet their Kiwi counterparts in a T20 International.
The Black Caps, just like the All Blacks, have become an impregnable force on home soil, especially in limited-overs cricket, where they have lost just one single T20I (Pakistan) in addition to only two further ODI’s (Sri Lanka and Australia) since hosting the World Cup in 2015.
That’s a consecutive run of five straight ODI series victories, which includes annexing the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy contested against world champions Australia, on two occasions. Equally they have won three T20 series, while storming to the World T20 semi-finals in India last year, to propel Kane Williamson’s team to the summit of the ICC T20 global team rankings.
Unlike many international teams who still regard T20 cricket as more of a nuisance in an already congested schedule, the Black Caps take the shortest format of the game very seriously.
They are often the leaders of the pack – justified by their ranking – in terms of innovative gameplans and are often not afraid to risk everything in search of glory.
Last year’s World T20 certainly provided evidence of this when their team management and selection panel boldly dropped the world’s leading limited-overs pace bowler Trent Boult and his new-ball partner Tim Southee in favour of a three-pronged spin attack for their opening encounter against hosts India.
The tactic caught MS Dhoni’s team, who are masters in playing spin in home conditions, completely off guard and the Kiwis trounced the Indians at the own game. It was a tactical masterclass in adapting to conditions and being “streetwise” in its execution.
South Africa are no slouches themselves when it comes to the “white ball stuff”. They lag behind in the T20 rankings a bit in fourth place, but are the world’s number one ODI team.
If the weather permits (it’s been raining all week in Auckland) the Eden Park faithful could be in for another cracking contest between these two great rivals.
It is for this reason that both teams would have liked to see more than just a once-off shootout before the ODI series gets underway.
"You always want more meaning on anything you play in and if you could extend the series it probably would give it that," Kane Williamson, New Zealand's captain, said.
South Africa’s Imran Tahir concurred: "More would be fair, at least three games or maybe two," the World’s number one T20 and ODI bowler reasoned.
"In one game you might get rain and play a 5/5 so another game or two would be nice. Guys need an opportunity to perform."
But like Williamson rightfully also says "it's just the nature of the beast" and both teams will have to get on with it as best they can.
There will be a Black Caps debut for South African-born Glenn Phillips on his home ground – a 20-year-old the locals are referring to as "the next Brendon McCullum" – which is high praise considering the impact "Bazz" had on the overall culture of New Zealand cricket through his natural attacking and aggressive instincts.
The rookie is so highly touted that the Kiwis could afford to leave their most experienced international batsman Ross Taylor out of their T20 squad even after powerful opener Martin Guptill was ruled out.
South Africa have a more settled look to their squad with their ODI superstars all rejoining the T20 team after a second-string outfit lost out to Sri Lanka during the home summer. The only concern remains David Miller’s finger injury, with Farhaan Behardien on standby should the left-hander not pass a late fitness test.
There has been plenty of talk this week about the Proteas putting to bed "the ghosts of Eden Park" with the tourists adding to the hype. ODI captain AB de Villiers played it up with comments such as "we've got some unfinished business in New Zealand" while his T20 and Test counterpart Faf du Plessis admitted "it will be mixed feelings returning to Eden Park".
In their hearts of hearts though, they will know nothing can ever fully fix the pain of losing that World Cup semi-final as Du Plessis also alluded to by saying: "Honestly, something like that you'll always carry it with you. The emotions of that day will always be with us."
An inconsequential T20 will certainly not be the remedy, but if it’s the start of a process that ultimately ends with De Villiers lifting the ICC Champions Trophy on June 18 in London then Eden Park may just start to have fonder memories for the South Africans.
T20I Squads for Eden Park:
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (c), Tom Bruce, Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Colin Munro, James Neesham, Luke Ronchi (wk), Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ben Wheeler, Glenn Phillips.
South Africa: AB de Villiers (c), Faf du Plessis, Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wk), Jean-Paul Duminy, Imran Tahir, David Miller, Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell, Dane Paterson, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi.
Start: 8am (SA time) TV: SS2