New Zealand will get a golden opportunity to seal five-match T20I series when confronted South Africa Game four at Sky Stadium in Wellington on Sunday 22 March.
The Black Caps, who lead the series 2-1 after back-to-back wins, are just one win away from securing their first bilateral T20I series against the Proteas in over 20 years. A must win for South Africa if they are to keep their hopes alive and take the contest to the decider in Christchurch.
A change of pace was observed in the series. South Africa started strongly with a convincing seven-wicket win in the first match, but New Zealand hit back in style. A dominant 68-run win at Hamilton was followed by a comfortable eight-wicket win at Auckland, where they chased down 136 with ease.
New Zealand’s disciplined bowling has been the key difference, constantly putting pressure on South Africa’s relatively inexperienced batting line-up, which has struggled to form partnerships.
However, the hosts face a setback as Tom Latham is ruled out with a thumb injury. Tom Blundell Drafted, Mitchell Santner will continue to lead the team. With New Zealand missing a few times to finish the job, opportunities could open up for new faces.
NZ vs SA, 4th T20I: Match details
- Date and Time: March 22; 11:45 AM IST / 6:15 AM GMT / 7:15 PM Local
- Location: Sky Stadium, Wellington
NZ vs SA Head to Head Record in T20Is
Matches played: 23 | South Africa won: 13 | New Zealand won: 10 | No result: 0
Sky Stadium Pitch Report
The Sky Stadium in Wellington is known for offering fair competition between bat and ball thanks to a drop pitch that provides even bounce and reliable delivery. Batsmen can rely on the surface to play their innings, but bowlers – especially seamers – get their moment, especially early in the innings.
Conditions in Wellington often play a key role. With cool temperatures and frequent wind, it is usually helpful for swing bowlers when the ball is new, especially if there is cloud cover. This can make initial passes quite difficult for batters.
As the game progresses, the pitch tends to settle, allowing batsmen to score more freely. T20I matches here generally see totals in the 150-160 range, which makes for competitive games. Teams also prefer to chase in this space because conditions are a little easier under the lights.
Probable XI
New Zealand: Devon Conway (w), Tim Robinson, Nick Kelly, Bevon Jacobs, Mitchell Santner (c), James Neesham, Cole McConchie, Kyle Jamieson, Ben Sears, Tom Blundell, Zak Foulkes
South Africa: Tony de Zorzi, Wiaan Mulder, Connor Esterhuizen (wk), Rubin Hermann, Jason Smith, Dian Forrester, George Linde, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj (c), Ngobani Mokoena, Ottneil Baartman
Also READ: Lockie Ferguson and Tom Latham make noise in New Zealand’s win over South Africa in the 3rd T20I.
NZ vs SA, 4th T20I: Today’s Match Prediction
Case 1:
- New Zealand go first in the toss
- South Africa powerplay score: 40-50
- South Africa’s total score: 150-160
Case 2:
- South Africa win the toss first
- New Zealand powerplay score: 50-60
- New Zealand’s total score: 170-180
Match Result: New Zealand will win the competition.
Also READ: Will Preity Zinta’s Punjab Kings punish Lockie Ferguson for missing the early part of IPL 2026?
