Nicholls’ experienced knock shows the way after callow England swatted aside | Simon Burnton https://ift.tt/M0aL3pI Simon Burnton at the Kia Oval Brendon McCullum relied too much on youth in the second Test, while persistence paid dividends for New ZealandIn December 2020 Henry Nicholls was a fixture in the New Zealand team, batting at No 5, but he was under pressure. In nine Tests since the end of their series against Bangladesh in early 2019 he averaged only 20.33. But they stuck with him and in his next game, against West Indies in Wellington, he scored 174 and was named player of the match.“In another time he may not have been offered that opportunity,” said one of the commentators covering the match on domestic television. “There’s many cases where guys haven’t had a sustained period to be able to find form, but a mark of this New Zealand side is their selection consistency, and they’re being rewarded.” Continue reading... https://ift.tt/9hHodPK June 21, 2026 at 11:57PM

Brendon McCullum relied too much on youth in the second Test, while persistence paid dividends for New Zealand

In December 2020 Henry Nicholls was a fixture in the New Zealand team, batting at No 5, but he was under pressure. In nine Tests since the end of their series against Bangladesh in early 2019 he averaged only 20.33. But they stuck with him and in his next game, against West Indies in Wellington, he scored 174 and was named player of the match.

“In another time he may not have been offered that opportunity,” said one of the commentators covering the match on domestic television. “There’s many cases where guys haven’t had a sustained period to be able to find form, but a mark of this New Zealand side is their selection consistency, and they’re being rewarded.”

Continue reading...

from The Guardian https://ift.tt/M0aL3pI