New Zealand head coach Mike Hesson is confident that the Black Caps will not be overawed by the prospect of a first-ever World Cup final when they take on South Africa.
Tuesday's semi-final against the Proteas is already being billed as a battle of the big-hitters with Martin Guptill, fresh from smashing a new record World Cup score of 237, going up against AB de Villiers, who recently hit the fastest 150 in one-day internationals.
First and foremost, though, the Eden Park showdown is about earning a chance to finally procure silverware for two sides who have never won the competition.
"It's a one-off game and we're all desperate to get to the party," Hesson said on New Zealand cricket's website.
"I'm sure we'll both turn up and there's two sides that are playing good cricket. We're in a World Cup semi-final and we deserve to be there with the way we've played. It's an opportunity for us to put on another good show and that's what we'll be focused on."
New Zealand and South Africa will do battle on Tuesday, before Australia and India go head-to-head on Thursday at Sydney Cricket Ground in the other semi.
Hesson feels the right sides have made it to the last four and acknowledged there is very little separating them.
"I think the best four teams are in the semi-finals, I don't think many people could disagree with that," he added. "South Africa on their day are exceptional, but you put them under pressure and we'll see what happens,"
South Africa middle-order batsman David Miller, featuring in his first World Cup, cannot wait to run out in Auckland and the 25-year-old thinks it will be a mouth-watering contest with both sides in good form.
"It's the first World Cup for me and it's a dream come true for me, so to be in a semi-final, that's another notch on the belt," Miller told South Africa cricket's official website.
"I'm really excited for what is coming on Tuesday, it's going to be a great game ahead. New Zealand are playing really well, we are playing really well, so it will be a good contest."
The unusual Eden Park dimensions will also add an extra layer to the contest, but Miller feels the Proteas are well-equipped having already played on it during the tournament so far.
"It's my first time in New Zealand so it's good to have already played a game here to get a feel of the ground," he added. "The dimensions of the field are really straight and short, long on the square boundaries, so it's something to get used to."
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