- New Zealand keeper-batter Tom Blundell scored 186 against Ireland in their only Test at Belfast.
- Blundell’s 186 is the second-highest by any Kiwi batting at number six.
- We look at the three highest scores by New Zealand batters at six or below in Tests.
New Zealand are currently playing their first-ever Test match against Ireland in Belfast. In their first innings, the Kiwis set themselves nicely in the Test by declaring at 490-8. Rachin Ravindra (121) and debutant Dean Foxcroft (98) played important hands in getting New Zealand to that score.
The biggest hero of the innings, however, was Tom Blundell. The wicketkeeper-batter scored 186, having walked in at 86-4. Blundell put on a 217-run partnership with Ravindra and then 158 runs alongside Foxcroft. In doing so, Blundell became just the eighth Kiwi batter to score 150 or more runs from #6 or lower.
3 highest scores at 6 or below for New Zealand in Tests
Runs lower down the order can prove to be incredibly important to shift the tone of the match. Blundell, for example, helped New Zealand recover from 86-4. In this article, we look at the three highest scores at six or below for New Zealand in Tests.
Brendon McCullum – 185 vs Bangladesh (Only Test, 2010)
Kiwi keeper-batter Brendon McCullum walked in to bat with New Zealand reeling at 158-5 in the first innings in Hamilton. He joined hands with Martin Guptill to put on 339 runs for the sixth wicket. Guptill, who had walked in at 5, scored 189 before he was dismissed.
More importantly for the sake of this article though, McCullum scored 185 off 272 balls. Having held off a rampaging Rubel Hossain for over 84 overs of the innings, the current England head coach finally was bowled by Hossain with the score at 497.
The Black Caps took with them a 145-run lead in the first innings, before adding 258 to it in the second. Chasing 404, Bangladesh were bowled out for 282, handing New Zealand a 121-run victory.
Tom Blundell – 186 vs Ireland (Only Test, 2026)
Another Kiwi keeper-batter Tom Blundell found himself out in the middle at the fall of the fourth wicket for just 86 runs in the first innings in Belfast. He and Rachin Ravindra, who also scored a century, helped New Zealand get past 300.
Blundell then got together with Dean Foxcroft to ensure they got to a massive score, becoming the sixth wicket to fall with the score on 461. The Tom Latham-led side declared at 490-8.
They then bowled Ireland out for 179 before asking them to follow on. In their second innings, the Irish have put on a bit more of a fight from the start. Ireland got to stumps on Day 2, having scored 65-2.
BJ Watling – 205 vs England (First Test, 2019)
New Zealand’s highest individual score at #6 or below in Tests is by a wicketkeeper-batter. Surprise surprise! This time, however, the Kiwis were batting second.
Having won the toss and elected to bat, England put on a formidable 353. In response, New Zealand were tottering at 127-4 when BJ Watling walked in. Big partnerships with Colin de Grandhomme and Mitchell Santner helped the hosts score 615-9 before declaring at Mount Maunganui.
Watling himself had scored 205, the highest by any New Zealand batter at #6 or below. Funnily enough, these three innings are also the highest individual scores by wicketkeeper-batters for New Zealand.
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