New Zealand will be mindful of the outstanding quality of every member of the South African side when playing the first of the Super Eight fixtures at the World Twenty20 championship in Barbados on Friday morning (NZT).
Wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum said the New Zealanders were well aware of the threat the South Africans posed but with their own developing confidence it was a fact that if New Zealand wanted to do well it had to handle quality opposition.
The side also needs runs from its top-order, something that McCullum felt should be possible on faster paced tracks likely to be experienced at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown.
"The pitches in Guyana were a little more conducive to the slower bowling which probably doesn't suit out batsmen quite as much but while it wasn't flash and wasn't flamboyant we got the job done in both games. And at the end of the day that is all you can ask for," McCullum said.
"I think the wickets in Barbados will be a little bit quicker and it will present an opportunity for us top-order batsmen to play with a little freedom as well and hopefully we will see one, or two, or three of the top four go on and make some sizeable totals in the next few games."
The tournament was one of pressure all the way through and there was almost a sense of relief after the side completed its first phase of the tournament by beating Zimbabwe.
"Now we turn our attention to the Super Eights where we know every single game we play is vitally important and we are coming up against some strong teams right the way through. To win a major tournament, a tournament like this, you are going to have to play good cricket right throughout the tournament.
"We've got to make sure we continue to improve as we go along. We've started well but hopefully we will continue to get better as the tournament goes on.
"South Africa's a quality team, everyone knows that. We've all seen how good they are in all three forms of the game and in Twenty20 they've got some dangerous players right through the line-up and they offer a different challenge to what Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe have offered us so far with a bit more predominant seam attack. Having said that they have a couple of quality spinners too.
"And their batters can be as destructive as any guys going around, so we've got to make sure we're accurate with our plans, make sure we implement the plans we set out and if we can do that and execute well then we'll certainly give ourselves an opportunity," he said.
McCullum was especially wary of AB de Villiers as a player who had scored a lot of runs against New Zealand. He had held the team together in many situations but with Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher, there were plenty of players to contend with.
"Every single one of their players is dangerous in their own right," he said.
McCullum was also delighted for his brother Nathan who has been in fine form with both bat and ball during the tournament.
"I'm pleased for him because I know how hard he has worked and I know how much he wants it and I know how much he loves playing for New