NZL vs ZAF 1st Test Day 2 match prediction 18 Feb 2022

NZ vs SA 1st Test Day 2 Predictions & Betting Tips

New Zealand are locked in a battle against South Africa in the first of the two-match series. The match is being hosted at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch from earlier today morning. With New Zealand in the driving seat of this match, most of you might have earned some cash from Day 1. Now, it is time to maximise this opportunity and make the most of Day 2 as well. Therefore I have brought along three of the best betting tips from the NZ vs SA 1st Test Day 2 head-to-head battle.

New Zealand won the toss and opted to ball on a fantastic day in Christchurch. South Africa came into this match with a lot of belief and confidence. But it was short lived as Matt Henry had other plans for them. Right from his first over, Henry did not allow any South African batters to settle down and kept troubling them with his immaculate line and length. The Black Caps seamer ended up with a 7-fer and South Africa kept crumbling down until they got bowled out for a paltry total of 95 in just 49.2 overs. All the Proteas big guns failed to fire in the first innings. New Zealand, in reply, have already taken the lead and the Kiwis have added 116 runs for the loss of three wickets. Henry Nicholls and Neil Wagner are out there in the middle. Needless to say, New Zealand are already going for the kill and this should be an easy victory for them. However, let me still present to you the best of odds from the NZ vs SA 1st Test Day 2 head-to-head encounter.

NZ vs SA 1st Test Day 2 Team Bets:

It is so nice to see that the bookmakers have offered quite a few markets for team bets and therefore without any further ado, I have picked up at least two team bets from the ongoing innings of NZ vs SA 1st Test.

NZ total 1st innings to be over 299.5 runs

New Zealand are the ICC World Test Champions and that by no way is a mean feat to achieve. The Black Caps, at home, are a dangerous side and every nation treats them with respect. However, South Africa have never lost a Test series in New Zealand but the way the Kiwis have started, things don’t look alright for the visitors. In fact, New Zealand have scored more than 299 runs in both the matches they have played so far in this calendar year. In 2021, the Black Caps played just one Test match at home and that was in this very venue, and they had managed to pile on a mammoth total of 659 runs in the first innings. The last time New Zealand played a Test match against South Africa on the Kiwi soil, New Zealand of course scored more than 299 runs. Pari Match are offering wonderful odds of 1.87 for New Zealand to score over 299.5 runs in the first innings in the NZ vs SA 1st Test Day 2 match prediction.

New Zealand fours to be over 31.5 in 1st innings

New Zealand batsmen do not hold themselves back when it comes to playing in their backyard. They have 116 runs on the board and already 12 boundaries have been scored off their batters. The last time New Zealand played a Test match at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch, Tom Latham smacked 34 boundaries alone and the Kiwis hit 63 fours in that innings, which is double than what is required in this particular bet. In 2021, New Zealand registered a mammoth 65 fours in their 1st innings at the same venue against Pakistan. In fact, the last time they took on South Africa on New Zealand soil, the Black Caps clobbered 54 boundaries in the first innings. They have scored more than 31 fours in the both first innings of the two Test matches they have played in this calendar year. Pari Match are offering lucrative odds of 1.86 for New Zealand fours to be over 31.5 in the first innings from the NZ vs SA 1st Day 2 match prediction.

NZ vs SA 1st Test Day 2 Player Bets:

The only two batters who are eligible to make the cut in this section are Henry Nicholls and Neil Wagner. Since Nicholls is a proper frontline batsman therefore he becomes my only pick from the NZ vs SA 1st Test Day 2 clash.

Henry Nicholls to score under 68.5 runs

The New Zealand middle-order batter Henry Nicholls is my last pick from the New Zealand vs South Africa Day 2 prediction. The right-handed batsman has played really well so far and is currently batting on 37 runs from 54 balls. He comes with the experience of 45 Test matches and 2430 runs at an average of 40.50. In 6 matches against South Africa, Nicholls has scored 286 runs at an average of 47.66. While playing on the home soil, Nicholls has a batting average of almost 49.00 in Test cricket. Under the leadership of Tom Latham, the right hander has racked up 358 runs at an average of 51.14 in just 6 matches. However, in the ICC World Test Championship, the Kiwi batsman has an average of 34.45. Therefore I am quite certain that Henry Nicholls cannot score more than 68 runs and Pari Match aggregators feel the same. So they have offered odds of 1.67 for the Black Caps batter to score under 68.5 runs in the NZ vs SA 1st Test Day 2 match prediction.

My Picks:

NZ total 1st innings to be over 299.5 runs - @ 1.87 (Pari Match)

NZ fours to be over 31.5 in 1st innings - @ 1.86 (Pari Match)

Henry Nicholls to score under 68.5 runs - @ 1.67 (Pari Match)