New Zealand vs West Indies Prediction & Match Preview – 3rd ODI at Seddon Park

New Zealand go into the final ODI of the series with the trophy already in the bag. Two wins in Napier gave them a 2–0 lead, and the second of those was a tight one, decided with three balls remaining as the hosts reached their target with five wickets in hand. They will now look to finish the job with a clean sweep at Seddon Park.

West Indies, batting first in a rain-shortened game of 34 overs, reached 247/9, and nearly all of the credit went to captain Shai Hope. His unbeaten 109 off 69 balls was among the best ODI innings of the year, and the lower-order contributions from Romario Shepherd (22), Matthew Forde (21) and Justin Greaves (22) took the total close to 250. For New Zealand, Nathan Smith was the best of the bowlers with 4/42, and Kyle Jamieson added 3/44.

The reply was built on an opening stand from Devon Conway, who made 90 off 84 balls, and Rachin Ravindra, who hit 56 off 46. A brief collapse, including the wickets of Will Young and Mark Chapman, did not unsettle the chase, and Tom Latham (39 not out) and Mitchell Santner (34 not out off 15 balls) finished it off calmly. The visitors need more support around Hope and tighter bowling in the key phases if they are to avoid a whitewash.

Probable playing XI

Pitch report

Seddon Park in Hamilton generally gives bat and ball a fair contest. The seamers can find some movement early, which makes the powerplay important, while spinners may get a little turn later on. The outfield is quick and rewards well-timed strokes. Chasing sides tend to have a slight edge because the surface behaves predictably, though a strong start can still set up a competitive first-innings total.

Expected scores

• 1st innings: 270–305
• 2nd innings: 250–285