A first home series as fulltime captain wasn’t quite as successful as the maidentrip abroad. Latham made five starts in six innings but managed only one 50, part of a much-needed 105-run opening stand with Will Young in Hamilton. The skipper’s selections could be – and absolutely were – debated as Young and Mitchell Santner waited until a dead rubber for a chance to repeat their match-winning efforts in India.
Mark: C-
Devon Conway
21 runs at average of 5.3
After ending a wretched run with scores of 61, 91 and 76 in the space of four innings against Sri Lanka and India, the opener returned home with four failures before missing the third test on dad duty. Conway is without a central contract, a potential replacement produced a strong audition, his last century opening stand came in February 2023, and he will be 34 when the Black Caps next play a test.
Young’s evident disappointment at both dismissals in Hamilton was understandable for two reasons. First, he remains without a test century, finishing with a score between 40 and 90 for the 13th and 14th time in 36 career innings. Second, while he clearly outperformed the incumbent openers across a smaller sample size, neither knock emphasised his case for the consistent run his abilities seem to justify.
Mark: B+
Kane Williamson
395 runs at average of 65.8
Should anyone be surprised that Williamson marked his return from injury by leading both teams in runs while sitting second in average behind player-of-the-series Harry Brook? Dumb question. The 34-year-old registered his 33rd career century in the third test, having picked up half-century No 36 and 37 in Christchurch. Hopefully he will deign to tour Zimbabwe; an opportunity to stat-pad will be well deserved.
Mark: A
Kane Williamson celebrates his 33rd test century. Photo / Photosport
Rachin Ravindra
129 runs at average of 21.5
This was Ravindra’s most underwhelming performance in the five series he played after earning a recall in February. At Hagley Oval, the No 4 unleashed some lovely shots before ending both stays with one that was extremely ill-advised. At the Basin Reserve, he twice fell cheaply. At Seddon Park, at least, Ravindra showed he wouldn’t fall into every trap, nor be tempted by every offer of width, compiling a hard-earned 44 in a 90-ball stay.
Mitchell joined Williamson as the only batters to show fight while facing a 151-run deficit in the first test, though his 84 was insufficient in providing England with a challenging chase. The Hamiltonian added 60 in the third test while the Black Caps persisted in piling on the runs to set England an impossible target. Neither score had an impact on the 2-1 series result.
Mark: B-
Tom Blundell
213 runs at average of 42.6
Blundell’s stats look good, especially after a prolonged not-good run, but they received a significant boost from the second-test hundred he hit in a lost cause, feasting in particular on Shoaib Bashir after England sacrificed the spinner to the Wellington wind gods. An unbeaten 44 in Hamilton came also under no pressure; when the stakes were high, the wicketkeeper made 17, 0, 16 and 21. On balance, a pass mark.
Mark: C
Glenn Phillips
117 runs at average of 29.3; 1 wicket at average of 142
It’s probably a bad sign for Phillips’ impact on this series that his two most memorable moments came at gully in England’s first innings of the first test. On the plus side, his horizontal snag of Ollie Pope will be the catch of the summer. On the rather more negative side, his straightforward drop of Brook cost 153 runs. Phillips spilled three more catches in the series, while his only knock of note was an unbeaten 58.
Mark: D
Mitchell Santner
7 wickets at average of 13.1; 125 runs at average of 62.5
Maybe Santner should be deployed only once in each three-test series. Such scarcity has been working for the allrounder, named player of the match in his last two tests. Having been overlooked at the Basin Reserve, Santner set about proving the folly of that decision at Seddon Park, claiming 7-92 on a track offering little assistance. A key innings of 76 was backed up with 49 more, toasting his elevation as white-ball skipper.
Mark: A
Mitchell Santner appeals against England. Photo / Photosport
Nathan Smith
7 wickets at average of 48.4; 80 runs at average of 20
Smith will take varying memories from his first test series. The 26-year-old will always remember snaring his first two wickets in the final over of his debut session. He may try to forget his fielders subsequently spilling a few chances as England ran away with the game. He will fondly recall removing Joe Root for a second time on his home ground. And, having been omitted, how he looks back on the Tim Southee testimonial is anyone’s guess.
Mark: B
Matt Henry
15 wickets at average of 23.3; 31 runs at average of 5.2
With Southee taking his 391 scalps into retirement, Henry is now the only active New Zealand player in three figures (120). The 33-year-old having played only 30 tests is testament to the strength of the seamers who for so long kept him out of the side – and his performances since earning a consistent run have shown he will be eminently capable of leading the attack for a few years yet.
Mark: A
Tim Southee
6 wickets at average of 54.3; 60 runs at average of 10
Southee deserved to be celebrated for what he achieved in the first 16 years of his 17-year international career. A full three-test retirement tour might have been a bit much, though, given how poorly that final year progressed. There was certainly little argument for the veteran seamer taking the new ball in each England innings – he finished the series with fewer wickets than Santner while bowling 50 more overs.
Mark: D-
Will O’Rourke
10 wickets at average of 38.8; 11 runs at average of 3.7
Perhaps O’Rourke could have been a better new-ball option. Bowling once it had lost a little shine did nothing to diminish his effectiveness, consistently troubling England’s batters with pace and bounce while eventually illustrating a level of menace that belied the 23-year-old’s unassuming attitude. Dismissing Brook twice for the cost of one run in Hamilton was a particular highlight. And an extra mark for his maiden career boundary.
Mark: A-
The Alternative Commentary Collective is covering every home Black Caps test this summer. Listen to live commentary here.
Kris Shannon has been a sports journalist since 2011 and covers a variety of codes for the Herald. Reporting on Grant Elliott’s six at Eden Park in 2015 was a career highlight.
