New Zealand have asked South Africa to set the pace at Eden Park, a ground that seldom keeps bowlers quiet for long. With the series delicately poised at 1-1, captains on both sides talked up the value of scoreboard pressure; the hosts clearly fancy chasing on what’s usually a brisk surface in Auckland.
Only one tweak for the Black Caps. Bevon Jacobs, over a slight knee niggle picked up in the opener, slides back in for all-rounder Josh Clarkson. Friday’s outing will also serve as a farewell, for now, to Devon Conway, Mitchell Santner and Lockie Ferguson, all due a rest before the final two matches.
South Africa have made a single change of their own. Ottneil Baartman steps aside for quick Lutho Sipamla, who has waited patiently for his first appearance of the trip. With no spare batters travelling, the order is mostly unchanged, though Tony de Zorzi and Connor Esterhuizen trade spots: de Zorzi, back from the ankle injury that ruled him out of the World Cup, will open with Wiaan Mulder, while Esterhuizen drops to No. 3. De Zorzi could do with time in the middle, his scores so far reading a lean 2 and 1.
Earlier on the same strip, New Zealand’s women chased 150 with seven wickets in hand to move 2-1 up in their series – a result not lost on the coaching staff plotting Friday evening’s tactics.
Probable XIs
New Zealand: Devon Conway, Tom Latham (wk), Tim Robinson, Nick Kelly, Bevon Jacobs, Mitchell Santner (capt), Jimmy Neesham, Cole McConchie, Kyle Jamieson, Ben Sears, Lockie Ferguson.
South Africa: Tony de Zorzi, Wiaan Mulder, Connor Esterhuizen (wk), Rubin Hermann, Jason Smith, Dian Forrester, George Linde, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj (capt), Nqobani Mokoena, Lutho Sipamla.
First ball is scheduled for 7 pm local; showers are predicted to stay away, and the crowd should hear plenty of leather on willow. Whether the series remains level or tilts decisively, both camps know the margins are tightening.
