“He’s forced his way back into the squad” – Latham backs Nicholls at No 3 after Williamson’s retirement

New Zealand captain Tom Latham has backed Henry Nicholls to fill the No. 3 position in the batting order after Kane Williamson’s retirement from international cricket. Nicholls has been recalled to the Test side for the second match against England at The Oval.

Latham said Nicholls has earned his place through strong performances in domestic cricket. Speaking ahead of the Test, the New Zealand skipper highlighted Nicholls experience and consistency at the domestic level.

“He’s someone that has a lot of international experience,” Latham said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. “He’s been out of the squad for a couple of years now, but has certainly forced his way back into the squad through weight of runs at domestic level. It’s a really exciting opportunity for him to come back into the side in a role at No. 3 that he’s been doing for Canterbury back home.”

Nicholls was the highest run scorer in the 2025-26 Plunket Shield season, scoring 870 runs for Canterbury at an average of 96.66. His performances came while while batting at No. 3 and No. 4, which made him a like-to-like replacement for Williamson.

Latham also highlighted to Nicholls’ ability to adjust to different situations. “For most of his career, he’s batted No. 4 or 5. But what he’s done for Canterbury over a long period of time, whenever he plays domestic cricket, he always tends to bat No. 3 or 4 as well. I think the good thing with Henry is he’s always been able to adapt to situations… This is a really exciting opportunity for him to do something new in Test cricket.”

The second Test between NewZealand and England will begin on June 17 at the Oval.

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