December 13, 2024: England and New Zealand are set for a crucial decider in the third and final Test of their series at Seddon Park, Hamilton, with England having already secured victories in the opening two Tests at Christchurch and Wellington.
England’s Playing XI
England have made one change for the match, with seamer Matthew Potts coming in to replace Chris Woakes. This alteration keeps Ollie Pope in the wicketkeeper role, allowing England to maintain a balanced attack. The playing XI for England is as follows:
- Zak Crawley
- Ben Duckett
- Jacob Bethell
- Joe Root
- Harry Brook
- Ollie Pope (wk)
- Ben Stokes (c)
- Gus Atkinson
- Matthew Potts
- Brydon Carse
- Shoaib Bashir
New Zealand’s Probable XI
New Zealand’s lineup remains uncertain, with captain Tom Latham choosing to withhold his final XI until Saturday. A key factor is the potential inclusion of veteran pacer Tim Southee, who may play his final Test ahead of his expected retirement. The probable XI for New Zealand includes:
- Tom Latham (c)
- Will Young
- Kane Williamson
- Rachin Ravindra
- Daryl Mitchell
- Tom Blundell
- Glenn Phillips
- Mitchell Santner
- Nathan Smith
- Matt Henry
- Tim Southee or Will O’Rourke (seamers)
With Devon Conway absent due to personal reasons, Will Young will open the batting alongside Latham. Young’s return is notable, having been the Player of the Series in New Zealand’s recent 3-0 whitewash of India, but missing out in the first two Tests against England.
It will be interesting to see whether Tim Southee gets the opportunity for a fairytale finish in his last Test, though his spot is not confirmed yet. Latham, however, remained tight-lipped on this matter, emphasizing that Southee would be keen to perform in any capacity.
This final Test will be pivotal for both sides, with England aiming for a clean sweep and New Zealand hoping to salvage pride and perhaps bid farewell to one of their greatest pacers in style.
