NZ vs SA, 4th T20I: Match preview, head-to-head, pitch report and predicted playing XIs

New Zealand will take on South Africa in the fourth T20I of the five-match series on March 22 at Sky Stadium in Wellington. The hosts currently lead the series 2-1 and will look to move closer to winning it, while South Africa must win to stay alive in the contest.

New Zealand delivered a strong performance in the third T20I to take the lead in the series. Their bowlers set the tone early, reducing South Africa to 46 for 5. Lockie Ferguson and Ben Sears were excellent with the new ball, while Mitchell Santner also contributed with two wickets. South Africa struggled to build partnerships, with George Linde scoring 23 and Nqobani Mokoena adding 26 late runs to take the team to 136.

In reply, New Zealand chased the target comfortably. Devon Conway played a quick knock of 39, while Tom Latham anchored the innings with an unbeaten 63. The hosts reached the target in just 17 overs with eight wickets in hand. With confidence on their side, New Zealand will now aim to continue their strong form.

NZ vs SA: Head-to-Head in T20Is

Matches Played: 23
New Zealand Won: 10
South Africa Won: 13
Tied/No Result: 0

NZ vs SA: Pitch Report

The Sky Stadium pitch usually helps batters because the drop-in surface stays quite flat. Fast bowlers may get some help in the early overs. As the match goes on, the pitch becomes easier to bat on, giving players more time to play shots. Spinners can be useful later. The average first innings score in Wellington is about 165, so using the powerplay well is important.

NZ vs SA: Predicted Playing XIs

New Zealand (NZ):

Tom Latham (wk), Devon Conway, Tim Robinson, Nick Kelly, Bevon Jacobs, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner (c), Cole McConchie, Kyle Jamieson, Ben Sears, Lockie Ferguson

South Africa (SA):

Wiaan Mulder, Tony de Zorzi, Rubin Hermann (wk), Connor Esterhuizen, Jason Smith, Gerald Coetzee, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj (c), Ottneil Baartman, Nqobani Mokoena