LIVE: WATCH SOUTH AFRICA VS NEW ZEALAND LIVE - CHAMPIONS TROPHY

It’s game day! South Africa faces off against New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium today, March 5. The match kicks off at 2:30 PM IST and will be streamed live on Instagram.

Who’s Leading the Charge?

Temba Bavuma will captain the Proteas as they take on the Kiwis, led by Mitchell Santner. The winner will book their spot in the final against India on Sunday, March 9.

Pitch Report

Lahore’s pitch has been a paradise for batters so far. The last two matches have seen massive scores, with over 600 runs combined in the Afghanistan vs England game. Australia even chased down 351 runs against England — so expect another high-scoring thriller today.

Weather Update

Unlike the washed-out Afghanistan vs Australia match, Lahore’s weather is looking clear and sunny with temperatures hovering around 20°C — perfect cricket conditions!

Head-to-Head Stats

South Africa holds the upper hand in ODIs, winning 42 out of 73 matches against New Zealand, while the Kiwis have taken 26 wins. However, when it comes to the Champions Trophy, both teams are evenly matched with one win each.

Squads

South Africa: Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Aiden Markram (capt), Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Temba Bavuma, Corbin Bosch, Tabraiz Shamsi, George Linde, Tony de Zorzi.

New Zealand: Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (capt), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, William O'Rourke, Jacob Duffy, Devon Conway, Mark Chapman, Nathan Smith.

Who are you backing to reach the final? ????????

Go boytjies!

Who are you backing to reach the final? ????????

Who knows?....it's going to be a close one. NZ will be wanting Williamson, Ravindra and Henry to put it together but.....

My heart says Proteas.

NZ chose to bat.

Think Wiaan Mulder could be a surprise packet.

Dankie ouChippo ........ howzit almal.

bobby

hoe the hell gaanit?

NZ are getting the upper hand here. We need a wicket soon.

Chasing has always been a problem for us in knock outs.

South Africa have only chased 7 out of 40 ODI chases in excess of 300

Moer

Lol 360...

This won't be a choke.

It'll be a blowout.

Bavuma and van der Dussen are giving us some hope here but the required run rate is climbing.

Denny,

No way is RSA going to pull this off.

The runs required for a Proteas win here was sealed by the NZ batsman

Looking forward to the final on the week-end though.

Lol the Chokerteas strike again.

Choke complete.

For heaven's sake, can we drop Markram already?

The guy has made a career out of failing.

I can't remember a single big moment where he has ever stood up.

Bavuma needs to go too and the side needs to be refreshed. Make Stubbs or Rickleton the captain and move the hell on.

There are young guys waiting in the wings and I'll happily swallow two years of mediocre performances provided we are building towards something.

This "almost good enough" just doesn't cut it.

Plum

Bavuma is often an easy target because he is black.

i feel for him.

he has a higher average and strike rate than Markram.

I agree he isn’t ideal and needs to go, but so does Markram. He has had more chances to prove himself than the ANC. And he’s failed almost as many times.

the side needs a refresh.

why not get some youngsters in.

Pretorius is ready man.

imagine Rickleton and Luandre going guns!

Brevis and Stubbs need to be fixtures in the team.

the only 2 batsmen worth persisting besides Rickleton, are Red Neck and Miller.

Brevis should start his career at 6.

so my Saffolk list is

Rickleton

Pretorius

Stubbs

Brevis

Red Neck

Miller

Verreyne

Jansen

Maharaj

Rabada

Ngidi

Jordan Herman needs mention too. He has a great future but maybe more suited to tests.

Well done Kiwis.....................

Way to go Black Caps!

362 was always going to be a tall order I’m afraid…..

Well done NZ, great win indeed and well deserved

Another collapse from SA ....

Not really a collapse DA.

just superior bowling from the world renowned, best of his kind l, Kiwi Captain.

I stopped watchin g the charade when Bavuma faced 21 balls and nly had 3 runs in a chase whre it was necessary to score at 7,8 rpo to start with, The quota captain in the end scored runs at 5 rpo forcing other playe t hit out at balls and losing their wickets as a result,

Spot on Mike, you picked it in the previous, I added my 5 cents.... anyone who knows a bit about white ball cricket would pick it.....but we were told it's ok ....he scored 50 runs......WOW at what cost....21 dot balls equates to 3.5 overs.... gone ...wiped...never to be recovered. The pressure on Rickelton to carry the anchor at the other end would be excruciating.

Welcome to South African cricket.

Dumb.....Dumb....Dumb!!!

Markram must have some serious dirt on somebody.

I really can't understand how his pathetic averages in both Tests and ODIs is acceptable. And even then, he pads those already bad averages against minnows.

He should have been dropped years ago.

Easy to say in hindsight, firstly his batting was up and down and best described as promising but secondly who would have replaced him?

That said what about Bavuma who isn't a white ball player? Kept Rickelton out of the side for quite some time. There's several posts in which I called for his inclusion.

"Not really a collapse DA."

I agree that there was some good bowling Chip, but to go from 161-3 in the 26th over .... to 212-7 within the next 10 overs, is a collapse in my eyes

Bavuma with his 56 off 71 balls was deadly to our run effort, with some other stupid shots played as well

To say it's a collapse is putting it mildly.

Denise, some of us have been saying Markram should be dropped for about 4 years now, perhaps longer. He's not improved at all.

I was the first to say he's not an opener or a 3 and should bat down the order and be given more bowling responsibility.

He's bowling is far better than anyone realises.

When Maharaj goes, they could do a straight swap...bat Markram at 7 or 8 and let him bowl more. Thats the only way I would keep him in the team.

Bavuma has always sucked as well. A top order test player, in the side for near to a decade now, and very few big scores to his name. That's not good enough.

'some of us have been saying Markram should be dropped for about 4 years now,

I'm curious, name the 'some of us'.....I know of one poster who made that call albeit for a different reason but I honestly don't know of anyone else......so cut us a favour and pull the 'some of us' post out of the archives.

And again I ask .....' but secondly who would have replaced him'?

Denise, I don't answer your stupid questions.

...for fear of being dragged down to your level.

Why would I discuss cricket with someone that doesn't know the difference between seam and swing?

I can't think of a bigger waste of my time.

Denise, I don't can't answer your stupid questions.

Yeah right, trapped in your own BS again Huh?

There is no 'some of us', truth be told you said that just to big note yourself.

As I've said only one poster called for dropping him and it wasn't you or 'some of us.'

As to having chosen an alternative for Markram.......there hasn't been anyone else you fool.

No need to thank me.

I can't think of a bigger waste of my time.

Yeah right.

I don't know of anyone else who unprovoked dotes on my every post, follows me around and puts up leading headers.....but now suddenly stuck with nothing to back up your fat tongue I've become a waste of time. I've got your number sugar lump and I'll squeeze down on it every time you BS and big note yourself.

A bit of advice, stay out of making selections, unless you want to make an absolute fool of yourself with selections like World Class Risa(sic) Henducks and World Class Janneman Malan.

Got that?

Good.

I live to give.

LMAO!

Indeed, Dense. It's a bit hard for ButtPlug to convince anyone that you're a waste of his time when he's so utterly obsessed with you and spends all day every day squealing for your attention.

Let's start with posts by Moz. So there's this post from Moz, from over 3 years back...

https://www.ruckersforum.com/forum/sport/so-markram/35031/

and then this...

https://www.ruckersforum.com/forum/sport/markram-flops-again-/36144/

...question is, will I waste time posting the numerous posts I made? Including the numerous posts where I called for him to bat further down the other and bowl more?

Hilarious that Miller hit another great score the other day.

After all the talk about Markram defos being good enough and how Moz was talking shit.

Gosh, Denise, your wind-ups are the best.

Pathetic!!!

Bwhahahahahahahahahahq!!!

ButtPlug wasting his time yet again . . .

Indeed...on morons

Rooi he said 'some of us'....I've said 'some of us' didn't include him and that he should name the posters which he can't because he's bullshitting to big note himself.

There is no 'some of us.'

I've said all along that there was one exception, again, it's not him.

But hey, what happened to wasting my time answering your stupid questions???

That didn't last very long Buttplug.

haha poor Denise.

I'll drip feed these...

Here's a tiny taster...

https://www.ruckersforum.com/forum/sport/so-we-choose-to-bat-and-/40228/

Oopsie...

https://www.ruckersforum.com/forum/sport/2nd-test--india-to-bat-first/38300

I had resefrvatins about Markram for years now, His bowling is acceptble in limited over matches - his batting routinely in all versions of cricket was sub-standard for years,

I would rather prefer Brevis in the team - especially iro the shorter versions of the game.

Playing Bavuma in short vesions of he game is crazy lunacy.

And then another mega ooopsie...

4 years ago...

https://www.ruckersforum.com/forum/cricket/barry-richards-vs-graeme-pollock/34766

"PS my patience with Markram is officialy klaar. Send him packing and see if he improves at club level. If not, too bad so sad..."

See, Denise...you're a lying coward, and so you assume others are too.

So, now we have both myself and Moz stating that Markram isn't good enough.

Let me guess another one of your windups?

PS You don't seem to be able to tell the difference between my answering your moronic questions and me proving what a lying little girl you are.

And if you like I could bring up the posts where I talk about Markram being used further down the order, and having less batting responsibility. I reckon I made those posts in about 2020/21, before the Proteas actually used him in that way.

Bwhahahaha

Tell us again how Kamala is your girl...

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!

Plum, Denise has challenged me multiple times over the years, and he has lost every single time, and then you don't hear from him on that specific topic again.

Don't waste your time, which is why I won't post the proof on the other thread that he wants from me.....

Denise likes to spew out repeated blanket accusations and lies about people, and then he fails to back them up with anything at all.... just more lies, and when you do provide the proof to prove him wrong, he slithers away like the cowardly snake he is.

It is precisely this reason why so many people over the years on this forum have referred to Denise as the board's coward.