Depleted New Zealand aim to wrap up series against South Africa in Wellington
New Zealand could seal this series today. A win in Wellington would give them an unassailable 3-1 lead with one match to play, capping what has been a solid home summer against a South African side that arrived with high expectations after their T20 World Cup campaign.
The catch is that this is barely the same New Zealand team that started the series.
A squad stretched thin
Tom Latham, who scored 63 not out to steer New Zealand home in the third T20I, has been ruled out with a thumb injury picked up during that very innings. Devon Conway, the leading run-scorer in the series, has left for Pakistan Super League duty with Islamabad United. Mitchell Santner, who captained the first three games, has gone to prepare for the IPL. Kyle Jamieson has also departed for franchise commitments, and Lockie Ferguson will miss the match for the birth of his child.
That is five frontline players gone in the space of a few days. James Neesham will captain the side, and Tom Blundell comes in as wicketkeeper in place of Latham. The squad that takes the field in Wellington will look more like a second-string XI than the one that took this series lead.
South Africa searching for answers
Keshav Maharaj's squad has had a difficult tour. After winning the first T20I by seven wickets in a low-scoring affair where they bowled New Zealand out for 91, South Africa have lost back-to-back matches. New Zealand posted 175 for 6 and bowled South Africa out for 107 in the second game, winning by 68 runs, and Tom Latham's knock settled the third after South Africa posted 136 for 9.
The batting has been the bigger concern. Only Tony de Zorzi has looked consistently threatening at the top, and the middle order has misfired. Young spinner Nqobani Mokoena has been the bright spot with the ball, but he needs more support from the seamers, particularly Gerald Coetzee and Lutho Sipamla.
Conditions and timing
Sky Stadium in Wellington can be a tricky venue. The wind off the harbour makes batting second a challenge, and the series has already shown that low totals are hard to defend when the pressure is on. The match starts at 7:15 PM local time (6:15 AM GMT, 11:45 AM IST on March 22).
South Africa will fancy their chances against a weakened New Zealand lineup. But this Black Caps side have a habit of finding performances from unexpected places, and Neesham is experienced enough to get the best out of a patchwork squad.
