New Zealand vs South Africa 3rd T20I Match Prediction - Who will win today's match between NZ vs SA T20I match?

New Zealand leveled the series with a victory in the second T20I match. They will now clash against South Africa in the third match of the five-match T20I series on Friday, 20th March at Eden Park in Auckland. While the Proteas aim to bounce back after their defeat, the hosts will look to continue their momentum and extend their lead in the series. 

New Zealand

After a defeat in the series opener, the hosts bounced back in no time to secure a victory by 68 runs. The Kiwi pacers demolished the Proteas batting lineup in no time. The hosts batted first and scored 175 for 6 in their 20 overs. After some inconsistent runs, Devon Conway finally got his run and scored a brilliant 60-run knock. Mitchell Santner scored 20 runs from just 14 balls, Josh Clarkson was a surprise, scoring 26 runs off just 9 deliveries, to help the team reach a respectable total. In bowling, Lockie Ferguson and Ben Sears were exceptional; the duo grabbed three wickets each in their bowling, while Santner took two. This win also helped the hosts level the five-match series at 1-1.

South Africa

South Africa will be keen to return to their winning ways after a disappointing outing in the second match, where they lost the match by 68 runs. It was a complete batting disaster from the Proteas batters. While chasing a target of 176 runs, they were bowled out for just 107 runs. No other batter stood up when the team required the most. Only George Linde managed to score 33 runs off just 12 deliveries to keep the fight going from one end. In bowling, Wiaan Mulder was their standout bowler, taking two wickets in his bowling spell. The visitors will look to go up in the third match.

NZ vs SA 3rd T20I Match Details

NZ vs SA 3rd T20I Pitch Report

The surface at the Eden Park pitch offers a complete batting track for the batters. It’s flat with good bounce and carry, favouring aggressive stroke makers, especially in the first innings. Pacers are likely to get good assistance from the surface in the initial overs. But as the game progresses, the surface tends to flatten out, and batters will get enough time to play their desired shots. Spinners may come into play later in the match. The average first innings is 171 at Eden Park, which gets reduced to just 154 in the second innings.

NZ vs SA Weather Report

The weather forecast predicts partly cloudy skies with a temperature of 23°C. There are light showers of rain predicted for the match, but a full match is likely on the cards. The pleasant weather conditions will enable both teams to compete without any interruptions. 

NZ vs SA Head-to-Head Records

NZ vs SA 3rd T20I Probable XI

• New Zealand: Devon Conway, Tom Latham (wk), Tim Robinson, Nick Kelly, Mitchell Santner(c), James Neesham, Cole McConchie, Josh Clarkson, Lockie Ferguson, Kyle Jamieson, Ben Sears.

• South Africa: Tony de Zorzi, Connor Esterhuizen (wk), Rubin Hermann, Jason Smith, Dian Forrester, Wiaan Mulder, George Linde, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj (c), Nqobani Mokoena, Ottneil Baartman.

Players To Watch Out For In NZ vs SA 3rd T20I Match

• George Linde | SA: The left-arm spinner is capable of playing a good knock on his given day. He provides great stability with his batting in the lower order. He did extactly same in the second match, scoring 33 runs from just 12 deliveries, and also grabbed one wicket. Overall, he has scored 366 runs in 34 T20Is and has taken 35 wickets. He is one player to watch out for. 

• Mitchell Santner | NZ: Mitchell Santner is currently one of the finest all-rounders in white-ball cricket. He has been consistently piling up good runs and taking wickets. He was really impressive during the T20 World Cup. He continued his form in the series opener, where he scored a crucial 15 runs and also grabbed one wicket for just 8 runs in his bowling spell in the first T20I match. He then scored 20 runs and grabbed two wickets in the second match. He will be a player to watch out for. 

• Ben Sears | NZ: This right-arm medium-fast bowler has been in good bowling form lately. He was the standout performer in the second T20I match against South Africa, taking three wickets for just 14 runs. Overall, he has taken 26 wickets in 24 T20I matches. Considering his performance in the last match, he will aim to repeat a similar shot in the next match. 

NZ vs SA 3rd T20I Toss Prediction

Historical Toss-Winning Stats at the Venue

• In the last three T20I matches played at this venue, the teams that won the toss have opted to bowl on all three occasions.

Advantages of Batting First on This Pitch

• The team batting first at this venue has won 15 out of the total 32 matches played here, while the teams batting second have won 12 games. This trend suggests that teams should prefer to bat first and focus on putting up a challenging total on their scoreboard.

NZ vs SA T20I Today's Match Scenario

Scenario 1

• Toss Winner: South Africa (opts to bat first)
• Power-Play Score: 40-42
• SA Total: 155-165
• Match Winner: South Africa

Scenario 2

• Toss Winner: New Zealand (opts to bat first)
• Power-Play Score: 45-50
• NZ Total: 170-180
• Match Winner: New Zealand

Who will win today's NZ vs SA T20I match?

After their triumphant victory in the second match, New Zealand is likely to win this match and extend their lead in the series. They had a disappointing outing in the series opener, but they bounced back immediately. Eden Park has been New Zealand's den; they know the pitch really well, and they will also be getting the home crowd advantage. They still have the lead in their last five head-to-head matches, winning three of them, while the Proteas has managed to win just two.