Key events
Line-ups
The teams are in. Australia are unchanged and at full strength, New Zealand make one change with Bella James coming into the XI for Lea Tahuhu.
New Zealand: Suzie Bates (c), Georgia Plimmer, Amelia Kerr, Bella James, Sophie Devine, Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Jess Kerr, Polly Inglis (wk), Rosemary Mair, Eden Carson
Australia: Beth Mooney (wk), Georgia Voll, Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Tahlia McGrath (c), Grace Harris, Georgia Wareham, Alana King, Kim Garth, Megan Schutt
New Zealand win toss and will bowl first
Suzie Bates wins the toss and her team will have a field at a sunny Cake Tin in Wellington.
Preamble
Martin Pegan
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the third women’s T20I between New Zealand and Australia.
Australia set out to make a statement in the three T20Is against the world champions, after giving up their crown last November, and are well down the path to doing just that after a pair of resounding victories – by eight wickets, and then by 82 runs – so far.
The tourists can now target a clean sweep at Sky Stadium while the White Ferns have much more than just pride to play for against their arch-rivals. Australia won the only previous clash between the sides at this venue in Wellington though Ellyse Perry and coach Shelley Nitschke are the only players still with the squad that played in that game in 2010.
Darcie Brown has returned to Australia for family reasons, leaving the tourists to make at least one change with Megan Schutt sure to have been pressing her claims. There can be no complaints about the conditions in Wellington with a predicted high of 19C and plenty of sun around.
First ball will be at 2.45pm local time or 12.45pm AEDT. I’ll be back shortly with the toss and team news, but in the meantime keep me company with your thoughts and predictions on email or @martinpegan on Bluesky or X. Let’s get into it!
