NZ VS AUS 3RD T20I

We are down to the the third and final T20I of the series between New Zealand and Australia at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. Australia cruised to victory in the series opener, while the second match offered the Black Caps a chance to level the series. Unfortunately, persistent rain allowed just 2.1 overs of play, leaving the contest without a result. As a consequence, New Zealand can no longer reclaim the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy, and regardless of the outcome in the third game, Australia will be taking it back home. The forecast for the third game does not look promising either, but let's hope for the best. After being carted around the park in the opener, New Zealand made three changes, bringing in Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi, and all-rounder James Neesham. The Kiwis will need to click as a bowling unit, with Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy tasked with setting the tone upfront. The batting unit, aside from the centurion, Tim Robinson’s rescue act, struggled in the opening game, with three of the top four dismissed for single-digit scores. Devon Conway and Tim Seifert will be keen to provide a solid platform for the likes of Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman and James Neesham to capitalise later in the innings. On the other hand, Australia relied heavily on Mitchell Marsh’s heroics, which made a mockery of the target of 182. They will want to be ruthless with the ball, as in the opening game, they let the Kiwis off the hook after reducing them to 6/3 and were uncharacteristically untidy in the field. Josh Hazlewood and Adam Zampa were at their miserly best, while the likes of Marcus Stoinis and Xavier Bartlett will look to pull up their socks. While it was a Mitchell Marsh show on the opening night, the likes of Travis Head, Tim David, and Alex Carey will be keen to get among the runs and carry that confidence into the upcoming home series against India. Out of the last nine completed meetings between these two sides, Australia have won seven, including the last four encounters. Will New Zealand be able to finish the series on a high, or will Australia continue their dominance? And with rain still in the forecast, how much will the weather play a role in deciding the outcome? We will have our answers soon.