New Zealand will be playing for pride when they take on Australia in the third and final match of the Chappell-Hadlee T20 series in Auckland on Sunday.
Both teams have produced highly entertaining cricket so far, setting up a thrilling third encounter.
Josh Nevett takes a close look at the contest with his free preview and cricket betting tips below.
New Zealand vs Australia 3rd T20 Preview & Betting Tips
Eden Park, Auckland, Sunday February 25th, 11am (AEDT)
Squads
Australia: Mitchell Marsh (c), Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
New Zealand: Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Trent Boult
Match Preview
Australia will enter this third and final game with plenty of momentum after winning their way to an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
Following a final ball thriller in Wellington, the Aussies produced a far more convincing victory in Auckland, defeating the Black Caps by 72 runs.
Travis Head (45 off 22) was the key contributor in Australia’s batting innings, guiding the men in green and gold to a below-par 174.
Lockie Ferguson was again the main man for the Kiwis, taking 4/12 in a stunning spell of fast bowling.
While 174 was unders, the Australian bowlers were quick to turn the tide, reducing NZ to 4/29.
Glenn Phillips (42 off 35) led a brief fightback, but four wickets from Adam Zampa ensured that the visitors won with ease.
As a result, this fixture is a dead rubber, and I’m expecting the Aussies to make it a clean sweep.
Key batters Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra will both be missing from New Zealand’s top order due to injury concerns, weakening the side significantly.
Warner will be absent from Australia’s XI, but I still believe they have superior depth and will get it done in style on Sunday.
Australia to Win
$1.50 (2 Units)
Prop Bets
As mentioned previously, Conway and Ravindra will not play in the final match, so one of the other batters will have to take responsibility. Phillips has hit 61 runs in this series and only been out once, so he appears to be excellent value.
New Zealand Top Runscorer – Glenn Phillips $5 (BoomBet)
New Zealand’s top order will be vulnerable in this final game, and I expect a well-rested Mitchell Starc to take full advantage of this. While he took just one wicket in the opening encounter, Starc is a proven performer.
Player to Take 2+ Wickets – Mitchell Starc $1.92 (BoomBet)
