It doesn't matter ... or does it?

It doesn't mean anything... It doesn't mean anything... It doesn't mean anything... South Africans will want to internalise that mantra after their team's woeful performance against New Zealand in a World Cup warm-up match at Hagley Park in Christchurch yesterday.

As if SA's bowlers being hammered for 331 runs and claiming just eight wickets was not bad enough, they crashed to 62/6 on their way to being dismissed for 197 to seal defeat by 134 runs.

New Zealand are a significantly stronger team than Zimbabwe, whom SA play in their first pool match of the tournament in Hamilton on Sunday. But the Kiwis are not as threatening as sides like India and, on their day, Pakistan - the second and fifth opponents SA will face in their six round-robin games.

If SA aren't able to make a fist of things against New Zealand, how much are they going to struggle against bigger, better opposition?

And another thing: Zimbabwe chased down a target of 280 to beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets with 28 balls to spare in Lincoln yesterday.

The results of warm-up games are irrelevant, but SA will convince no one that they would not have preferred to have had Zimbabwe's day rather than their own.

There were, however, mitigating factors. Chief among them was that Dale Steyn was rested and that Hashim Amla did not bat.

Morné Morkel, Kyle Abbott and JP Duminy escaped the mauling SA's attack endured yesterday, conceding less than a run-a-ball each. The other five all went for over seven - including Faf du Plessis, who last turned his arm over in Proteas colours in a Test against India at Kingsmead in 2013.

Vernon Philander is the cause for most concern, missing his length often enough to be hit for nine fours and a six in his eight overs.

AB de Villiers returned after missing Monday's match against Sri Lanka, to face 28 balls for his 24. That was the best effort in SA's top five, the rest of whom scraped together 25 runs between them.

SA failed to come to terms with a New Zealand attack that bowled with fire and verve; an attack that looked suspiciously like they were taking the match seriously.

The exceptions among SA's batsmen were JP Duminy and Philander, who shared 121 for the seventh wicket. Duminy played his most convincing innings since coming back from a knee injury with an 80 that brimmed with confident strokeplay, even though he was dropped on 58.