New Zealand head coach Rob Walter nominates new Test No. 3 following Kane Williamson’s exit

New Zealand head coach Rob Walter believes Henry Nicholls has earned the right to become the team’s new No. 3 in Test cricket following the retirement of Kane Williamson.

Walter praised Nicholls for forcing his way back into the Test side through sheer weight of runs in the domestic circuit after being left out, urging everyone to take it as a lesson.

“Well, I mean, the reality was Henry was our back‑up batter in the Test squad,” Walter was quoted as saying by Cricinfo after the Blackcaps returned home from successful tours of England and West Indies. “At the time of his selection in the squad as a back‑up batter… whilst there may have been somebody to ask questions, I don’t think anyone could ask those questions based on the performances Henry had put in when he went back to domestic cricket. Ultimately, it’s a lesson for anyone that there are always going to be disappointments when you’re left out of the team. But all you can do is go back, work hard, put runs on the board, deliver performances, and win games for your team.

“Then hopefully things fall into place and you end up getting another chance. And again, I think Henry wouldn’t have wanted to get his opportunity through Kane’s retirement because that in itself was a loss for the team. However, he’s still a highly experienced player with plenty of performances under his belt, and he has come back on the back of strong domestic form, earning his spot and taking that No. 3 position. So certainly I won’t be giving that No. 3 to anyone else because he’s deserved it,” Walter added.

Nicholls marked his return to Test cricket with a gritty hundred against England at The Oval. His 121 helped New Zealand beat England by 253 runs in the second Test, earning a series‑levelling win after the disappointment of the first Test at Lord’s.

Previously, the southpaw piled up runs in the domestic circuit after being dropped in 2025. He aggregated 870 runs in 11 innings at an astounding average of 96.66, finishing as the leading run‑scorer for Canterbury in the 2025‑26 Plunkett Shield.