Recalled Black Caps century-maker Henry Nicholls ‘at my best’

Saturday, 20 June 2026

He's been written off more than a Mazda Demio.

And while Henry Nicholls took a few dings to the body on day three of the second test as New Zealand took a stranglehold over England, he kept ticking over to make his 11th test century.

That allowed the Black Caps to motor to a lead of 352 runs with two days to play in the middle encounter of the three-match series in which they trail 1-0.

Brought into the XI as an enforced change from the first-test loss at Lord’s after Kane Williamson’s surprise retirement, Nicholls ended the day unbeaten on 119 from 164 balls, with NZ 252-3 in their second innings.

Rachin Ravindra, who essentially took Nicholls’ regular place in the test side, made a fluent 76 from 89 balls, with 15 boundaries, as the pair put on 161 for the third wicket after England got a brief sniff of being back in the contest.

The visiting side couldn’t have called on a more seasoned replacement for Williamson - Nicholls, 34, was playing his 59th test and had plundered runs throughout the last domestic season at home.

He’d also made an unbeaten 150 in his most recent test - versus Zimbabwe in the middle of 2025, which wasn’t enough to keep him in the full-strength XI for three tests versus the West Indies at home in December.

Nicholls said he took it all in his stride.

'Being out of the team for a bit and playing domestically, [I've been] really just trying to enjoy my cricket,' Nicholls told Sky Sports UK soon after stumps.

'I certainly, in the last couple of years, feel like I've actually been playing my best cricket. For me as well, having played a significant number of tests, knew what it takes at this level.

'I guess I had the confidence coming in here to believe in myself. I've done it before, but to come out here today and do it and contribute in this innings [is pleasing]… It's obviously a great day personally, but from the team perspective, to bowl them out with the lead and then to be where we are now was exactly what we wanted at the start of the day.'

Replacing NZ’s greatest batter also didn’t trouble Nicholls.

'You've seen over the last probably four or five years, every player that's come into the group, they don't look out of place and they're really comfortable. It's a credit to domestic cricket, but the Black Caps environment as well.

'I certainly knew when I was coming in for him [Williamson], I wasn't going to be able to replace him. He's just such an incredible player, but I just really enjoyed being back in the team - and even in the first innings, enjoyed being back in test-match cricket.

'In the second innings, I just wanted to try to replicate that, and you want to contribute, and you want to do all of these things. But it was just building a partnership with Rachin [Ravindra] and even Daz [Daryl Mitchell] at the end there.'

Last year against India at The Oval, England came close to knocking off 373 in the fourth innings, but will likely need a test record chase if they wish to seal the series.

Without the specialist left-arm spin of Mitchell Santner, after skipper Tom Latham and coach Rob Walter opted for four pace bowlers, the Black Caps may need contributions from Ravindra and first-innings century-maker Glenn Phillips to level the series.

Second test, The Oval: New Zealand 391 and 252-3 (Henry Nicholls 119 not out, Rachin Ravindra 76, Daryl Mitchell 32no) vs England 291 (Emilio Gay 53, Matthew Fisher 50no, Joe Root 46; Matt Henry 5-80).