New Zealand vs Australia – 4th T20 International Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is New Zealand vs Australia taking place? Friday, March 5th, 2021 – 06:00 (UK)
Where is New Zealand vs Australia taking place? Westpac Stadium, Wellington
What is the expected weather for New Zealand vs Australia? 18c cloudy but no rain forecast
What channel is New Zealand vs Australia on? The match will be televised live on BT Sport 1
Where can I stream New Zealand vs Australia? The match can be streamed live the BT Sport app and website
LAST MEETING
Australia beat New Zealand by 64 runs
THE TEAM NEWS
NEW ZEALAND
- New Zealand lost their first game of this series last time out on Wednesday as they won the toss and decided to chase which ultimately backfired as they could not get close to the tourists’ impressive 208/4.
- Mitch Santner was ruled out of that game with Mark Chapman coming in but the all-rounder did not get a chance to bowl with Jimmy Neesham taking all four overs as the fifth bowler and it proved costly as he conceded 60 runs from his four.
- They may decide to revisit that selection in this game as Santner has recovered from illness so expect him to come back into a side that will be otherwise be unchanged and they will likely aim to bat first this time if they do win the toss.
AUSTRALIA
- Australia bounced back in style in the third T20 after losing the first two as they built a superb total after being put into bat and then defended it with relative ease thanks to a much-improved bowling and fielding display.
- Debutant Riley Meredith came in for that game and made immediate inroads with two wickets to get their struggling bowling attack off to a positive start and Ashton Agar backed him up in style taking a stunning 6/30 as they bowled the Blackcaps out for just 144.
- They were buoyed by the return to form of Aaron Finch while Glenn Maxwell and Josh Phillippe looked in great touch so other than Matthew Wade who continues to struggle, the batting line-up is looking as good as it has for some time even with the likes of Warner and Smith.
THE PREDICTION
The team batting first has won all three matches in this series so far as getting a big score on the board has been the blueprint to success to put scoreboard pressure on the chasing team. The hosts decided to try chasing last time out after winning the toss but that backfired and whoever wins the toss here will likely revert to batting first. With neither team likely to make many changes and little separating the two, a close game is on the cards but Australia’s momentum from the win on Wednesday can carry over into this and they are favoured to level the series here.
