World Cup Head to Head: New Zealand vs South Africa 





New Zealand have a big lead over South Africa in World Cups, having not lost a single World Cup game against the Proteas since the 2003 edition
It was South Africa's first World Cup after readmission and as a result, the first clash between these two sides in the showpiece event's history. The home conditions gave New Zealand the advantage in this encounter and they were helped further by South Africa's decision to bat first on a surface that wasn't exactly straightforward for batting. New Zealand skipper Martin Crowe marshalled his bowling unit that was tailor-made for slow and sticky surfaces. His decision to open with a spinner from one end was a tactic that was extremely far-sighted, when you realise that it's the modern trend. For the Proteas, Peter Kirsten waged a lone battle and with some contributions from Dave Richardson and Brian McMillan, gave some respectability to the total.