Saturday’s encounter between New Zealand and England is the third and final game of the current ODI series. The home side are 2-0 to the good meaning England must win to avoid a whitewash.
England has failed to see out their full allocation of 50 overs in either of the first two ODIs. They were bowled out in 35.2 overs in the first game and 36 overs in the second.
New Zealand is currently the world’s second ranked ODI side while England are way back in eighth spot.
Kiwi quick Blair Tickner, who was recalled to the side following the withdrawal of Kyle Jamieson, made a dream return to the Black Caps set-up as he returned match-winning figures of four for 34 in the second ODI.
New Zealand batsman Daryl Mitchell has yet to be dismissed in the series. He scored 78 runs in the first ODI and 56 in the second.
England ODI form is very poor – the series loss against New Zealand is their eighth series loss in the last ten series.
Venue: Sky Stadium, Wellington
England have won just once from the five ODIs they have played at the Sky Stadium.
New Zealand don’t have the best record at Sky Stadium either, they have lost 11 of the 29 ODIs they have played at the ground.
Captains winning the toss in Wellington prefer to bat first – they have opted to bat 19 times compared to the 12 times they have chosen to field first.
The team batting first at Sky Stadium has won 16 times, while the team chasing has won on 13 occasions.
The average first innings score at the ground is 233.
The highest total made on the ground is the 393 for six made by New Zealand against the West Indies in 2015 – a game in which Martin Guptill scored a New Zealand record 237.
England hold the record for the lowest score made on the ground – New Zealand dismissed them for just 89 runs back in 2002.
The highest score successfully chased at Sky Stadium was against England – Sri Lanka posted a score of 312/1 in 47.2 overs as they passed England’s 309 for six back in 2015.
The lowest score defended at the ground is England’s 234. They held off New Zealand to win by four runs back in 2018.
Weather:
Wellington is expecting mostly sunny skies on Saturday, which is good news for cricket. The day’s high will reach 17 degrees, with temperatures dipping to 13 overnight. There is a nominal chance of rain during the day at around five percent. The wind will be gusty. It will be a clear night, offering pleasant conditions after a mostly sunny day.
Form (most recent game first):
New Zealand: W, W, W, W, W.
England: L, L, W, L, L.
Key player:
New Zealand, Daryl Mitchell: It is very hard to look past Mitchell at present – he is an unmovable rock in the middle of the Black Caps order. He has yet to be dismissed in the series thus far, he is the fifth highest ranked ODI batter in the world and he boasts the 11th highest average of all time in 50 over cricket at 51,78. Mitchell is in the middle of a rich vein of form, and he loves batting against England. In seven games against England thus far Mitchell averages 110.
England, Harry Brook: It’s been a very underwhelming performance from England in the ODIs and there have been very few shining lights. One player who has stood out is skipper Brook who battled bravely in the series opener with a phenomenal 135. He was the pick of the top order again in the second game although this time it was a more modest contribution of 34. The key is, he is leading from the front. It will take a lot for England to turn things around, but if they are going to, they will need Brook to fire again in the final game of the series.
Verdict: New Zealand
The tourists have been so badly off the pace that it is hard to see how they will find a victory in the final game of the series. It may be that the Black Caps lower their guard and play with less intensity and focus on the final game of the series, given that they already have an unassailable lead. But even so, England has been so badly second best that it’s hard to see how England will make up the ground. With the Ashes looming it is more likely that England will already be mentally on board the plane that’s set to take them out of New Zealand.
