Kyle Jamieson may end 28-month test absence for Black Caps against England
Sunday, 29 March 2026
ANALYSIS: The presence of Kyle Jamieson and Kane Williamson should give the Black Caps a one-two punch capable of trading blows with the England test team.
New Zealand’s next major men’s international outing of importance is the three-test series in England in June - which will be preceded by a four-day test versus Ireland.
Williamson indicated to The Post earlier this month that he’s keen to keep playing test matches, after retiring from T20 internationals late last year.
The 35-year-old has played 108 tests to sit fourth on the all-time list for New Zealand behind Ross Taylor (112), Daniel Vettori and Stephen Fleming (111).
He’s closing in on 10,000 test runs, needing another 539 to reach that landmark, and with 33 centuries he’s tied for the 12th in history and could climb into the top seven over the next two years - England’s Joe Root (41 tons) and Australia’s Steve Smith (37) the only two active test batters above him.
His availability will give New Zealand a complete collection of their best batters to select from, while the pace bowling attack looks likely to be boosted from the injury-influenced group which finished the three-test series at home against the West Indies in December.
Jamieson’s second return to test cricket appears a strong prospect after the 31-year-old featured throughout NZ’s lengthy season of white-ball internationals, while sitting out the test series.
The towering right-armer had taken 72 wickets in just 15 tests before suffering a back stress fracture during the second game of the previous tour of England in June 2022.
He made his test comeback against Bangladesh in November 2023, but another major back problem flared versus South Africa in Mt Maunganui three months later.
He’s bowled only 30 overs for Canterbury in the Plunket Shield this season, but played 17 T20Is and six ODIs. His next international outing could be with the Black Caps for further white-ball games in Bangladesh next month, but coach Rob Walter may prefer to have him play for the NZ A side in two four-day matches in Sri Lanka in April instead as a lead-in to the tests in Ireland and England.
When fit, Jamieson has a superb test record - 80 wickets at 19.73, with a Strike Rate of 44.4.
Fellow quick Will O’Rourke is set to be part of one of those April tours, but the test schedule may be too much to ask initially.
The 24-year-old made his return to competitive cricket this week after suffering a back stress fracture during the first test versus Zimbabwe at the end of July last year.
Don’t expect any bolters in the test squad, with opener Devon Conway and wicketkeeper-batter Tom Blundell set to maintain their places.
Conway made a double-ton and a century in the third test versus the Windies, while an expected challenge from Rhys Mariu faded during the first-class season, with the Canterbury opener unable to match his previous summer’s form, making 347 runs at 28.91, with one century, heading into the final round of the Plunket Shield.
Blundell’s hamstring injury he picked up in the first test in December allowed Mitch Hay to make an impressive test debut in Wellington, but Walter went back to a fit Blundell for the final test.
The 35-year-old has averaged 50 with the bat in the 2025/26 Plunket Shield, with Hay averaging 37 while Volts’ glovesman Max Chu continues to push his name into the frame, with 524 first-class runs this season at 58.22.
Henry Nicholls didn’t keep his place to play the Windies despite making an unbeaten 150 versus Zimbabwe in August in a side without usual skipper Tom Latham, Williamson and Glenn Phillips.
But a Plunket Shield campaign featuring three hundred, four half-centuries and 793 runs at 99.12 - combined with four tons and 588 runs at 73.50 in the domestic one-day competition - make the 34-year-old incredibly tough to omit.
The make-up of the bowling unit will depend partly - as always - on fitness, and after the injury crisis against the Windies, there’s plenty of ready contenders.
The test series is far too early for new 21-year-old sensation Thomas O’Connor - son of former Black Cap left-arm swing bowler Shayne - with experienced Central Districts left-armer Ray Toole pushing hard to provide a point of difference, with 31 Shield wickets at 23.12.
Auckland allrounder Simon Keene has had an outstanding first-class campaign, with 23 wickets at 27.82 and 514 runs at 51.40, and that’s likely to be rewarded with a New Zealand A trip to Sri Lanka in April.
NZ’s four-day test against Ireland starts on May 27, with the IPL playoffs not concluding until four days later.
England will have the same Kiwi connection of coach and captain after Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes survived an ECB review of their losing Ashes tour.
The matches against the Black Caps will be England’s first tests since that 4-1 defeat.
Possible Black Caps test squad to play England
Tom Latham (captain), Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Tom Blundell (wk), Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Nathan Smith, Ben Sears, Jacob Duffy, plus one from Will Young/Zac Foulkes/Blair Tickner.