Henry Nicholls has locked down New Zealand’s number three Test spot after ​his performances helped secure a 2-1 series victory ‌over England, head coach Rob Walter ​said.

Former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson ⁠last month quit international cricket in the middle of the series in England after scoring zero ‌and 18 in the opening Test.

Nicholls stepped into Williamson’s number three position ‌for the last two Tests and ‌scored ⁠197 runs, including his 11th century ⁠in the longest format, as New Zealand won both matches and clinched the series.

“I think Henry wouldn’t have ​wanted to get ‌his opportunity through Kane’s retirement because that was in itself a loss for the team,” Walter told reporters.

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“However, he’s still a ‌highly experienced guy with lots of performance ​under the belt, and could come in on the back of strong ⁠performances domestically, earning his spot back and taking that number three spot.

“So certainly I ‌won’t be giving that number three to anyone else because he’s deserved it.”

Prior to the two wins over England, Nicholls had featured in just two Tests since 2023.

“Ultimately, it’s a lesson for anyone that there’s ‌always going to be these disappointments of being left ​out of the team,” Walter added.

“But all you can do is just ⁠go back, work hard, put some runs on ⁠the board, put performances on the board, win games for your team.”

New ‌Zealand next hosts India in a multi-format series, which runs from October 22 to ​December 1.

Published on Jul 26, 2026