New Zealand will bowl first in the deciding Twenty20 against South Africa. The toss was won by New Zealand, who chose to bowl in the fifth and deciding match at Hagley Oval.
Series Decided After Uneven Contests
The series is finely balanced at 2-2 after a run of matches with fluctuating fortunes. South Africa took the first match by seven wickets. New Zealand then responded, winning the second and third matches by 68 runs and eight wickets, respectively. South Africa levelled the series, winning the fourth match by 19 runs.
Unchanged Teams Named
Both teams have named unchanged lineups for this deciding match, the first time this series that both sides have been constant in selection. South Africa has retained Prenelan Subrayen, a spinner who made his debut in the fourth match at Wellington.
The Lineups
Here are the confirmed teams for the match:
- New Zealand: Tim Robinson, Katene Clarke, Dane Cleaver, Nick Kelly, Bevon Jacobs, Jimmy Neesham (captain), Cole McConchie, Josh Clarkson, Zak Foukes, Kyle Jamieson, Ben Sears.
- South Africa: Tony de Zorzi, Wiaan Mulder, Connor Esterhuizen, Rubin Hermann, Dian Forrester, Jason Smith, George Linde, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj (captain), Prenelan Subrayen, Ottneil Baartman.
The match takes place in Christchurch, New Zealand.