Australia Women meet New Zealand Women in the third and final T20I of the NRMA Insurance Women's T20 Series at North Sydney Oval on October 22, with the series already secured after Ashleigh Gardner's all-round display sealed a 2-0 lead in the second match. The only thing left to decide is whether the hosts complete a clean sweep or New Zealand salvage some pride from a tour that has not gone their way.
Captain Sophie Molineux, who returned to lead Australia and won the toss in the series opener, continues in charge for the decider, with Ellyse Perry and Beth Mooney also in the squad. Phoebe Litchfield missed the opening match of the series, and her fitness has been a running theme through the three games at this venue.
This tour is New Zealand's first assignment since three of its longest-serving players — Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine and Lea Tahuhu — retired from international cricket following this year's T20 World Cup, with the tourists coached on an interim basis by Dean Brownlie. Without that experience, the tourists have leaned on the same batting order that gave Australia a genuine fright in the series opener before falling short by 40 runs in the second match, and the finale is as much about building the next generation of this side as it is about avoiding a sweep.
A dead rubber rarely carries much weight on its own, but for New Zealand it is a chance to show the batting depth that produced a near-miss in the opener can hold up without its most experienced names. For Australia, it is an opportunity to give minutes to squad members outside the first-choice XI without any real risk to a result already secured, ahead of a home summer with bigger fixtures still to come.
With the series already decided, expect both sides to rotate players who have not featured in the first two matches, making recent form through this series — rather than reputation alone — the safer guide for fantasy selections in the finale.
Build a fantasy team for the finale on SportGod's games page, with more women's cricket coverage on the SportGod blog.
Squad and context details in this article are verified against same-day and freshly re-checked reporting as of October 22, 2026.
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