The 5th and final Twenty20 International (T20I) of the ongoing series between New Zealand and England will be played at Basin Reserve, Wellington. The game is scheduled for 5:30 AM Indian Standard Time (IST) on the 29th of March, 2024.
Squads:
New Zealand – Sophie Devine (C), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Bernadine Bezuidenhout (WK), Izzy Gaze (WK), Maddy Green, Mikaela Greig, Brooke Halliday, Amelia Kerr, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu
England – Heather Knight (C), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt
Players to watch out:
Bernadine Bezuidenhout
The 30-year-old keeper-batter from 24 T20I innings has accumulated 275 runs, including the highest of 44, striking at 101.47. An innings apart, Bernadine has registered scores of 31 and 34 in her recent outings and it’ll be hoped she makes the most of this return to form.
Jess Kerr
The 26-year-old pacer has struck 17 wickets, including the best of 2/13, from 28 T20Is, while also being handy with the bat. Jess had a brilliant start to this series returning figures of 1/26 (4) and 0/20 (4), and it’ll be expected of the seasoned pacer to continue on this notable form.
Sophia Dunkley
The 25-year-old top-order batter, with an average of 22.08 and a strike rate of 115.38, has amassed 795 runs from 43 T20I innings. Sophia put behind her poor run of form by scoring a solid 32 in the T20I opener but departed cheaply in the subsequent games. However, she should be backed to rediscover her best.
Danielle Gibson
The 22-year-old pacer has only played a handful of T20Is but made a strong impression. Danielle’s outstanding form in this series saw her produce figures of 0/33 (4), 1/21 (3), and 2/22 (4) in the first 3 games, while also registering scores of 1*, 14, and 10*. She’ll be banked upon for the goods.
Pitch:
The center wicket at the Basin Reserve provides a balanced playing surface, one that caters to both batters and bowlers. While it favors batters and promises a high-scoring match, the pacers can also take advantage of the conditions.
Weather:
With scattered thunderstorms on the radar, there is a high probability of rain interruptions during the game. The temperature is forecasted to hover around 13°C, with strong winds and humidity of 58%.
Fantasy playing XI:
Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Suzie Bates, Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danielle Gibson, Lauren Bell, Charlie Dean
Match details:
Date – March 29, 2024
Time – 5:30 AM IST
Venue – Basin Reserve, Wellington
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on Amazon Prime Video.