New Zealand strolled to a 281-run victory inside four days against a severely weakened South Africa side in the first Test at Mount Maunganui last week.
After fielding six debutants at Bay Oval, Proteas captain Neil Brand will hope that his players kick on from the experience as they attempt to avoid losing their first-ever Test series against the Kiwis.
Meanwhile, Black Caps skipper Tim Southee could be part of a remodelled attack, with pace expected to prevail over spin in Hamilton because of the bounce in the track.
New Zealand vs South Africa tips
- Kane Williamson to be New Zealand Top Batter – 1st Innings @ 13/5
- Tshepo Moreki to be South Africa Top Bowler – 1st Innings @ 16/5
- Rachin Ravindra Under 31.5 Runs – 1st Innings @ 17/20
talkSPORT BET welcome offer – Get £10 in free bets*
Kane able to make another big score
Kane Williamson demonstrated his class once more with twin centuries in the first Test, following up his patient 118 off 289 balls in the first innings with a sparkling 109 off 132 balls in the second dig.
After six tons in his last six Tests, the right-hander now has more centuries (31) in the format than either Joe Root (30) or Virat Kohli (29).
And the second Test should offer him a fabulous opportunity to draw level with the only other member of cricket’s Fab Four that he currently trails – Steve Smith (32).
Williamson’s record in this format since 2020 makes him the only choice to be his team’s top run scorer again.
He averages 70.36 over his last 19 Tests with 10 centuries, two fifties and a best score of 251.
In home conditions, the 33-year-old has accumulated 1,345 runs in eight Test matches at an average of 112.08 with eight centuries in just 13 innings.
And New Zealand’s star batter currently holds the record for the most runs at Hamilton’s Seddon Park in cricket’s longest format -1,238 runs in 10 Test matches at a staggering average of 88.42.
Proteas quick should enjoy pacier pitch
By all accounts the pitch at Seddon Park will have more bounce and carry for the quick bowlers than the slower wicket in Mount Maunganui did in the first Test.
That should help South Africa’s attack, which is not blessed with as much spin variety as New Zealand’s.
Reports suggest Duanne Olivier’s place could be under threat after he returned figures of 0-119 in the first innings and lost his role as new ball bowler in the second to Dane Paterson.
But right-armer Tschepo Moreki performed better than his Test debut bowling figures of 1-126 suggest and could make best use of the new ball on a harder surface.
He trapped Devon Conway lbw for one to claim a wicket with his first ball in Test cricket
The 30-year-old has taken almost 200 first-class wickets in his career and returned figures of 3-56 and 3-66 in the first innings of his two games for South Africa’s A team against their West Indian counterparts in November.
Double ton hero Ravindra can be opposed
Rachin Ravindra’s first innings score of 240 was a glorious effort, even if he should have been caught on 80, when Olivier spilled a chance in the outfield.
But the graceful left-hander has not made a score above 20 in any of his seven other Test innings to date, including the second knock at Bay Oval when he was caught off the spin bowling of Brand.
Ravindra’s form coming into the series was nothing special, as he had made single figures in his four previous white ball innings, including only two for Wellington against Canterbury at Seddon Park.
talkSPORT BET welcome offer – Get £10 in free bets*
*all odds correct at time of writing
18+ New customers only. Opt in & bet £10+ on any sport at 2.00+ odds within 7 days. No Cash out. Get £10 Free Bets on any sports market. Free bets expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply, see below. BeGambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- GamCare – www.gamcare.org.uk
- Gamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.org