The Black Caps fell short in the fourth T20 in Wellington, losing by 19 runs as South Africa’s spinners took control and drew the series level at 2-2 last Sunday.
New Zealand’s challenge is made harder by a weakened squad, with Tom Latham out injured and Devon Conway, Mitchell Santner, and Lockie Ferguson unavailable for the final matches of the series.
“It’s quite a quick turnaround from the World Cup, a little bit of a hangover there from some of the guys that were away, and we’ve got some fresh faces as well,” said Black Caps bowler Kyle Jamieson ahead of the decider. “Even amongst the chopping and changing and some of the scheduling on the table, we’re still trying to win games of cricket and move the side forward.”
Heading into the decider, the key question will be how the Black Caps adjust to South Africa’s spin threat after being defeated in Wellington. Hagley Oval’s conditions are known for more even pace and bounce than slower surfaces, which could give the hosts’ an advantage.
“It’s being a bit more clinical I think, we’ve put ourselves in some reasonable positions pretty much the whole series, barring that first game, we’ve got to capitalise on those a bit more,” Jamieson said.
“Potentially at times we have taken it for granted and haven’t quite had that foot on the throat mentality. I’m sure we’ll put in great effort today.”