WC 2015: Did AB de Villiers make a mistake in opting to bat first?

Auckland, March 24: Did South African captain AB de Villiers made a mistake in deciding to bat first against New Zealand under overcast conditions at the Eden Park here on Tuesday?

Live updates: SA vs NZ

The Proteas were 216/3 after 38 overs when rain interrupted and when it cleared up, the match was reduced to 43 overs a side. That meant the South Africans were left with just five more overs to bat.

This is not the first time that the rain gods have threatened South Africa's chances at the World Cup. They were knocked out from the tournament because of rain twice in the past and de Villiers' men will not forget that.

Or a good toss to lose with the cloud cover ? I think it's to cold to swing around corners. NZ must take 3 wickets in the 1st 15 overs !!

— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) March 24, 2015

Auckland is known for its unpredictableng weather and forecasts for Tuesday and the reserve day on Wednesday have fluctuated in recent days. On Sunday, the chance of rain at Eden Park was about 20 per cent but by Monday that went up to 60 per cent.

In 1992, the ridiculous rain rules had left South Africa to score 22 runs off just 1 ball after rain interrupted their semifinal match against England. The original equation for them was 22 required off 13 balls but the bizarre rules saw 12 of those deliveries being deducted but no run.

In 2003, South Africa made another goof-up while chasing against Sri Lanka's score in a rain-hit match. They misread the asking score and were eliminated as the hosts as the match ended in a tie.

Can the Proteas change their fortunes this time against rain?

Oneindia News