South Africa will take on New Zealand in the second semifinal match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 today (March 5). The match will be held at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan. It will start at 2:30 PM (India time).
SA vs NZ: Pitch report
Expect a pitch that is generally good for batting, but where bowlers who can be accurate and adapt to the conditions can also find success. The trend of high scores suggests that teams might prefer chasing after winning the toss..
In the last completed ODI here, Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran scored 177 off 146 balls against England to take his team to 325/7 in 50 overs. England lost the match by 8 runs.
The stadium has hosted 72 ODIs, with teams batting first securing 38 wins and chasing sides winning 30. Two matches did not produce any results while one match ended in a tie. In 1988, Pakistan won against Australia after the scores were level because they lost fewer wickets.
South Africa have played 11 matches at this venue and won six of those. The Kiwis have played seven matches here and won two.
SA vs NZ: Head-to-Head
South Africa and New Zealand have faced each other in 73 ODIs. South Africa won 42 times, while New Zealand secured 26 victories. Five matches had no result. In recent form, New Zealand have won four of their last five games while South Africa have won two.
In the ICC Champions Trophy, both teams have won one match each in their two encounters. Their most recent ODI clash was in February 2025, where New Zealand successfully chased 304 and won by six wickets.
SA vs NZ: Weather predictions
The abundant sunshine throughout the match will create excellent batting conditions. The moderate North-Westerly wind could offer some assistance to swing bowlers, especially in the early overs. With no rain anticipated, we can expect a full match without any weather interruptions.
Stay updated with all the action from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Check the Champions Trophy 2025 Schedule, track the latest Champions Trophy Points Table, and follow the top performers with the most runs leaderboard and most wickets tally.