New Zealand vs Australia 3rd T20 Predictions & Tips - Black Caps can seal series victory

New Zealand have won the opening two matches of the series and will fancy their chances of taking an unassailable 3-0 lead at the Basin Reserve. My best bet is a New Zealand victory while there is value on Kane Williamson and Devon Conway in the run scoring markets.

Australia hold a 7-3 lead over New Zealand in 11 previous encounters. There was one match which ended in a tie.

New Zealand have however won the opening two matches of this series by 53 and four runs.

New Zealand lead the current five-match T20 series 2-0 against Australia. They won the 1st T20 by 53 runs in Christchurch before getting home in a cracking match by four runs in Dunedin.

On a flat surface in Dunedin, the Black Caps batted first and Martin Guptill made the Aussies pay for some poor bowling. He scored 97 off 50 balls while Kane Williamson continued his fine T20 form with 53 runs.

The total of 219 was a daunting one, but Australia came out firing and only fell four runs shy of the total. Mitchell Santner was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4-31 in his four overs.

Devon Conway is expected to bat in his normal position at four after being sent in at six in the last match. He averages 68.75 in T20I cricket and had scores of 50, 69, 91 & 93 in his last four Super Smash matches - he was only dismissed once in those innings'.

New Zealand have fielded the same side in both matches of this series. With two wins under the belt, they will be tempted to once again go in unchanged and clinch a series win.

Hamish Bennett and Mark Chapman will both be waiting for their opportunity, but that may only come once the series is wrapped up.

Australia find themselves 2-0 down in the series and face a must-win match in the 3rd T20 to keep the series alive. 

Bowling first in the 2nd T20, the Aussies bowlers were disappointing with only Jhye Richardson going at under 10 to the over. New Zealand scored a massive 219 runs.

In reply, Australia took the game to the death. Josh Philippe found some of his Big Bash form, scoring 45 runs. Australia however looked dead and buried until Marcus Stoinis smashed 78 off 37 balls and Daniel Sams hit 41 from just 15 balls.

They fell just short on 215 runs but more concerning will be the form of captain, Aaron Finch. Over his last 10 T20 matches, eight of which were in the Big Bash, Finch has a highest score of 14 runs.

Australia have gone into the first two matches with the same lineup, but will surely look to shake things up for this must-win match.

Matthew Wade has yet to fire and could make way for D’Arcy Short. Josh Philippe can take over keeping duties. Ben McDermott and Ashton Turner are both viable options for the struggling middle order.

On the bowling front, one or two of Andrew Tye, Tanveer Sangha and Jason Behrendorff could come into the mix.