Cricket: Peter Fulton to take over as Black Caps batting coach

A former Canterbury and New Zealand batsman has replaced a former Canterbury and New Zealand batsman as the Black Caps' new batting coach, where he will be working under, well, a former Canterbury and New Zealand batsman.

Peter Fulton has been appointed as the Black Caps' new batting coach, replacing Craig McMillan, who stands down from the role at the end of the ODI World Cup in July.

Fulton will link up with former teammate Gary Stead, with the pair having played together in the early 2000's, before Fulton then played under Stead in his stint as Canterbury coach, calling him the most prepared coach he ever had.

That relationship will now continue in the Black Caps environment, with the 40-year-old getting the nod to replace McMillan, who had spent five years in the role.

Since retiring from cricket in 2017, Fulton had set up a meth-testing business in Christchurch, while also having coaching stints at Christ's College and as head coach of the New Zealand Under 19 side.

Fulton played in every format for the Black Caps, racking up 23 test matches, 49 ODIs and 12 Twenty20s in nearly 10 years of bouncing in and out of the international arena.

He averaged just 25.4 in test cricket, with his finest test coming in 2013 against England, where he hit a century in both innings – the only two of his test career – in what was an eventually thrilling draw at Eden Park.

Fulton averaged 32.5 in ODI cricket with a solitary century, against Sri Lanka in 2006, though his biggest moments arguably came in the memorable Chappell-Hadlee series in 2007. Fulton started the Black Caps' comeback in Hamilton, carving 51 from 40 balls as they came back from 41-4 to chase down 347, while the game earlier he saw them home in Auckland, hitting an unbeaten 76 from 65 balls as they hunted down 337.

Fulton, who retired as Canterbury's first-class leader in matches (121), runs (8719) and catches (128), as well as their all-time top Twenty20 run scorer (1708), is also the only player to score a triple century for Canterbury, smashing an unbeaten 301 against Auckland in 2003.

His final one-day game for Canterbury was just as sensational, thumping an unbeaten 116 from just 58 balls in a bizarre one-day final which was turned into a 20-over affair. Fulton's incredible knock was enough for a 28-run win over Wellington, and sending the veteran out with a domestic title.

Now, he will be part of the coaching team trying to produce titles on the world stage.