New Zealand will look to continue their dominance in the T20 World Cup when they take on struggling Scotland in Group 2. The match will take place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Wednesday, November 3, at 3:30 pm IST (2:00 pm local time).
Get the best rates from the online cricket satta bazar as well as the best New Zealand vs Scotland betting tips and predictions below.
New Zealand are coming in this match following a fantastic win over the tournament-favourites India while Scotland have incurred their second Super 12 defeat – this time against Namibia.
Between the two, there is little doubt that Kiwis will start as the heavy favourites – let’s back them in our New Zealand vs Scotland betting tips & predictions.
After losing to Pakistan in their opening Super 12 match, New Zealand bounced back in style with an emphatic win over India last Sunday. Bowling first, they restricted the Men in Blue to a meagre total of 110-7. Trent Boult picked up three wickets, Ish Sodhi got two while Adam Milne and Tim Southee got one each.
The Black Caps hardly faced any difficulties in chasing down the target – they did so in style with 111-2 with seven overs to spare. Daryl Mitchell scored 49 while Kane Williamson, in his clinical sense, struck 33 off 31 to seal the win.
Following that result, New Zealand are now at third place with two points – with a game in hand. They have an opportunity to reach the second position but will have to deliver a massive win against the Scots since Afghanistan’s net run rate there is world-class with +3.097.
Not much is to be commented about the Kiwis here. They are pretty nicely stacked in all departments – it’s just that purely outclassed in the match against Pakistan but following that eight-wicket victory over India, it should be smooth sailing from this point on.
New Zealand’s Likely XI
Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson, Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Tim Seifert, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Trent Boult
Scotland Team News
After navigating their qualifying fixtures against Bangladesh, Oman, and Papua New Guinea without a hitch, Scotland would have fancied themselves of putting up a good show in the Super 12.
But the fact that they have already lost to Afghanistan and Namibia – two relatively-weaker teams they could have outplayed before taking on the big guns – tells us all there is to know about their form.
In the game with Namibia, Richie Berrington’s men could only post 109-8 – a total that was not enough on the Abu Dhabi pitch. The Namibians chased it down and won the match by four wickets with five balls to spare.
Perhaps, they are out of steam or perhaps, they have run out of luck – whatever may be the case, it doesn’t look like Scotland can bounce back now, especially considering their upcoming opponents are New Zealand, India, and Pakistan.
Scotland’s Likely XI
George Munsey, Calum MacLeod, Matt Cross, Richie Berrington, Michael Leask, Craig Wallace, Chris Greaves, Josh Davey, Mark Watt, Safyaan Sharif and Brad Wheal
Venue & conditions
We are back in Dubai for this one where the pitch hasn’t entirely been as per the expectations. Batting has been tricky and there is plenty of joy for bowlers all around. That said, batting second is the norm here as all the matches at this venue have been won in such situations.
Weather-wise, we are in for a clear sunny afternoon with no rain interruption.
In their one and only encounter in T20I cricket, New Zealand were the winners. The match took place in the 2009 edition of the T20 World Cup where the Black Caps won by seven wickets.
New Zealand vs Scotland Toss Prediction
In their sole meeting more than 10 years ago, it was New Zealand who won the toss and subsequently chose to field first. This time, let’s back Scotland to win the toss in our New Zealand vs Scotland coin toss prediction.
It doesn’t take rocket science to figure out why New Zealand are the heavy favourites here. They are fielding a world-class bowling attack and an exceptionally strong batting line-up. Moreover, they have years of experience in top-level cricket and have pretty much established themselves at the pinnacle of professional cricket.
Scotland, meanwhile, are languishing after consecutive defeats. They haven’t been able to do a lot with the bat and ball as their players continue to choke under pressure and possibly superior opponents.
Unless the Kiwis are having a horrible day and the tides of fate turnaround, we are looking at yet another win for the Black Caps.
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Martin Guptill has been awfully quiet in this year’s World Cup, but the veteran New Zealand batsman carries a great deal of experience and talent. Perhaps, a game against Scotland is just what he needs to start firing again as the opener and find his groove.
Given the shaky bowling unit of Scotland, it is reasonable to expect Guptill to perform well and emerge as the top batsman for the team on Wednesday.
