will be looking to reverse the poor form he has shown during the ODI se
ries in South Africa as he plays his 200th match for the BLACKCAPS in Saturday's fourth ODI at Durban.
The New Zealand opening batsman has scored 11, three and one in the first three games, which has put immediate pressure on the middle order.
Astle has been the stand-out batsman for the BLACKCAPS over recent years, having made 15 ODI hundreds and 37 half centuries. He has scored 6369 runs at the impressive average of 34.8.
However, in 28 matches against South Africa, he has made just 524 runs at 21.83.
A return to form in his 200th game would be a fitting way to celebrate the milestone and give his side a good chance of winning their first match in the series.
Astle will become the fourth New Zealander to play 200 ODIs, joining Chris Harris (250), Stephen Fleming (243) and Chris Cairns (208).
