Venue: Mirpur, India Date: Friday, 27 March (0830 GMT) Coverage: Highlights on BBC Two (see listings), Red Button & online at 2200 GMT (UK only); live Test Match Special commentary (BBC 5 live sports extra, Radio 4 LW and online); live text commentary on BBC Sport website & mobiles; live on Sky Sports
Spin bowlers Vettori (left) and Tahir (right) can exploit sub-continental wickets
New Zealand hope the return of captain Daniel Vettori can inspire them past favourites South Africa on Friday into a sixth Cricket World Cup semi-final.
Vettori missed the last two group games with strained knee ligaments, but said he "should be fine" for what could be his last match as the one-day skipper.
South Africa believe a shift from pace to spin bowling is helping their cause, with Imran Tahir key to their hopes.
The winners face either England or Sri Lanka for a place in the final.
Though the Black Caps qualified somewhat unconvincingly, finishing fourth in Group A with the Proteas impressive Group B winners, they will draw strength from having beaten South Africa on the last two occasions that the sides have met at the Cricket World Cup.
In 2007, in Grenada, they won by five wickets while in 2003 - on South African soil in Johannesburg - they won by nine wickets.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Brendon McCullum, who is set to feature at the Shere Bangla Stadium despite an ongoing knee problem, is confident his side can continue that record.
 | If anyone is going to win it rather than England, then probably Graeme Smith for his long service to the game deserves to get his hands on the trophy BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew |
"We've met them in these competitions before and tended to take those matches so this is another opportunity to do that and we're confident in our own ability," he said.
"I'm hoping we can continue the success we've had against South Africa. If we can continue that and prepare as well as we can we'll give ourselves the best opportunity to replicate those games."
Seamer Kyle Mills is another recovering New Zealander also hoping to be included despite a recent quad strain.
They will come up against a South Africa side rated as the favourites to win the tournament by BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew and former England captain Michael Vaughan.
"They are a much more rounded team than they've probably ever been in one-day cricket," said Agnew.
"The introduction of Imran Tahir as a leg-spinner gives them a better option on these pitches. And if anyone is going to win it rather than England, then probably Graeme Smith for his long service to the game deserves to get his hands on the trophy."
"If I had to go for anyone to win then I'm slightly favouring South Africa because they have a rounded bowling attack and the batting is firing," he added.
"Hashim Amla is a wonderful player, Jacques Kallis is consistent and if they can get AB de Villiers over his injury, he is a big threat," Vaughan told BBC Sport.
South Africa must decide whether the conditions call for them to utilise all three available spinners, with Johan Botha, Robin Peterson (14 tournament wickets) and Tahir (12 tournament wickets) the men at the disposal of captain Smith.
Despite their formidable pace attack of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, Smith has often handed the new ball to one of the three as they have successfully taken advantage of the slow wickets in the sub-continent.
"The thing about our three spinners is they're very different from each other," said Smith.
"They've all performed different roles at different times, but worked well together. The versatility of the guys has been great.
| They're a dangerous side. They bat deep. Against them you've got to keep on concentrating and you have to bat for all 300 balls Jacques Kallis |
"Imran's definitely been the more attacking option for us. To have him in the line-up adds a bit more to me as a captain. Robbie has been around for a long time but it is only now that people have started to show a lot of confidence in him as a cricketer.
"Through that faith and confidence, he's starting to believe more in himself.
"Spinners love being here, especially South African spinners. They don't get as much help back home, so to be able to execute their skills in these conditions is very exciting for them."
In the five previous Cricket World Cups, South Africa have been eliminated three times in the semi-finals, once in the quarter-final and another time in the first round, earning them an unwanted tag of perennial chokers.
And all-rounder Kallis has warned that they must be completely ready for the threat posed by underdogs New Zealand.
"If you are well prepared for it, you just go in and write it without worrying too much," he said.
"They're a dangerous side. They bat deep. Against them you've got to keep on concentrating and you have to bat for all 300 balls."
Captain Smith attributed South Africa's impressive form in the tournament, which saw them top Group B with five wins in six matches, to contributions from everyone in the squad.
"Selection has always been tough and it's getting tougher as guys perform well," he said. "It's an ideal challenge to have players performing well and that you have a good squad of players to pick from.
"We are not relying on four, five guys to win us the World Cup."
England and Sri Lanka meet on Saturday, while defeat for New Zealand on Friday is likely to see Vettori stand down as captain of the nation's one-day and Twenty20 sides.
South Africa too strong for Bangladesh
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