Blackcaps to face red-hot South Africa in T20 World Cup semi-finals

The good news is the Blackcaps are into the T20 World Cup semi-finals.

The bad news is they’re facing the in-form team of the tournament South Africa who’ve won all seven of their games so far.

That streak includes a comfortable seven-wicket win over New Zealand during the group phase a fortnight ago.

That match was played in Ahmedabad with the semi-final to take place at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Blackcaps coach Rob Walter’s confident they can turn the tables on the red-hot South Africans.

"They have played exceptionally good cricket in the World Cup thus far,” Walter said.

“It just takes one bad day for a team that's been playing well. So we need to be ready and play our best cricket".

Pace bowler Matt Henry returned home following the loss to England for the birth of his second child.

Walter is hopeful his strike weapon can make it back in time for Thursday’s semi-final.

"If everything works out according to plan and stars align, he should be back the day before the semi-finals. So, yeah, that's what we're hoping for. But obviously, we've got all contingencies covered if it doesn't happen like that".

The back-up plan to replace Henry is a pretty good one with Jacob Duffy, who’s New Zealand’s highest-ranked T20 bowler at 12th in the world, waiting in the wings.

Kyle Jamieson is also an option to come into the playing eleven.

Walter is just glad to still be alive in the tournament after relying on another result to progress.

He said he couldn’t watch the match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan which sealed their place in the final four.

"Obviously, you're nervous because you know that it could all be over last evening and you're sort of heading back home and then in the same breath you're playing in a semi-final of a World Cup, which is an awesome achievement in itself".

Co-hosts India have avoided an early exit, beating the West Indies by five wickets to book a semi-final against England on Friday.

The final takes place on Monday.