r/blackcapscricket

In a world where the white ball has taken over at the highest level, a crammed 12 months of test cricket is welcome news to Black Caps opener Devon Conway.

While recent years of the longest format have been sparse for the Black Caps and Kiwi cricket fans, the next year brings a welcome change.

Starting in Ireland later this month, the Black Caps will play 14 tests between now and the end of next March.

Pinnacle away tours to England and Australia bookend a home series against India this year, before welcoming Sri Lanka and a visiting Pakistan to start 2027.

For the players, the schedule is a welcome change after their white ball diet of the past three years. While the white ball game may be where they make their money, nothing has the prestige of test cricket.

In fact, the upcoming test schedule is so tempting, Conway has outlined he wants to end his time as an uncontracted T20 freelancer, and recommit to New Zealand Cricket (NZC) full time.

Travelling to England also takes him back to where his test career began. Five years ago, a then 29-year-old Conway made his debut after waiting out a stand-down period to qualify for the Black Caps.

The wait was worth it. Conway hammered 200 on debut, and backed it up with 80 a week later as the Black Caps took a series win, before adding 54 in the inaugural World Test Championship final against India on the same tour.

Now, on the verge of his third test tour of England,

Conway is relishing the chance to kick off New Zealand’s red ball block in familiar climes.

“We’ve been wanting something like this in the calendar for a while,” he told the Herald.

“If you look at all the tours coming up, it’s a very exciting 12 months for the test squad.

“Playing in England is a different challenge, particularly as an opening batter. But playing at the grounds – Lord’s again, with all the history, it’s probably one of my favourite grounds – there’s certainly great memories.

“We haven’t played a test match at the Oval, so I’m looking forward to that challenge. And then to finish the tour at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, where we know it’s a nice place to bat if you get in, is very exciting.

“It’s another opportunity to grow my game and try to do a job for the team.”

As is usually the case with players preparing for test cricket, Conway will head north off the back of a T20 campaign, having only just returned to New Zealand after a successful season with Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League.

The Black Caps not playing in the Indian Premier League have assembled at NZC’s high-performance centre at Lincoln to prepare for their tour opener against Ireland at Stormont on May 27.

The team are attempting to recreate conditions they’ll likely get in Ireland and England, and have swapped the standard Kookaburra balls for Dukes – known to swing more and favour the bowlers.

And with a touring party of 19 announced earlier this month, competition for places has been high.

“I’m in a good space,” he continued. “We’ve had a wonderful week in Lincoln, great prep – we couldn’t have asked for better going into that trip abroad.

“It’s a unique challenge, going back into red ball is one thing, but going into the Dukes ball is another. That’s been fun.

“We’ve had some really good opportunities to face some of our ‘nasty fasties’, who’re bowling really well.”

What’s more, success in England and Ireland will also be crucial for not just Conway, but New Zealand’s ageing batting stocks.

With a year still to play in this cycle of the World Test Championship, the Black Caps have stuck to their guns in backing this current group.

After that, though, a refresh is inevitable. Of the first-choice test top six, only Rachin Ravindra is under 30.

Further complicating the matter, the next generation of test hopefuls are more than pressing their case for selection.

For Conway, while there might have been pressure on his place at the start of the home summer, two centuries in his last test have shown a player still able to dominate at the highest level.

But even with the likes of Rhys Mariu and Curtis Heaphy breathing down his neck, Conway is content with his place in the Black Caps’ best XI.

“It’s great that there’s competition, I think it’s healthy,” he professed.

“It’s a massive credit to those guys, who’re playing good cricket. I don’t look at it too much.

“I just go out there, try to be clear in my own mind, clear in what I want to do, keep making sure I’m doing the job for the team, and control what I can control.

“If I do that to the best of my ability, everything takes care of itself. All credit to them, hopefully they get an opportunity in the future when their time comes.”

There is a very real chance next month’s tour of England will be Kane Williamson’s last for the Black Caps.

Having been an international cricketer for the better part of 16 years, the 35-year-old doesn’t hide from the fact his time as a Black Cap is coming to an end.

But having been without a New Zealand Cricket (NZC) central contract since mid-2024, just how involved Williamson is with the national side until then is ultimately up for him.

While the Black Caps will play 14 tests in the next 12 months, Williamson’s involvement is far from guaranteed.

When the squads to face Ireland and England were named, Williamson’s name was down for both. After that, though, there is little clarity over how much more he’ll want to play.

At the end of 2025, Williamson indicated his Black Caps future is “series by series”. Understandably, given his three young children, family is now the most important consideration in any decision he makes.

The Herald understands that even if Williamson has committed to the tour of England, facing Australia over summer is far from certain at this point. Dialogue between Williamson, Black Caps coach Rob Walter and chief selector Gavin Larsen is understood to be positive, though.

England is a pinnacle tour for any cricketer, given the history of venues like Lord’s. On top of that, England is also special for Williamson as the home of his wife, and where he spent a large chunk of 2025 as an overseas player for county side Middlesex, and with the London Spirit in professional league The Hundred. Those contracts continue into this year as well.

Despite the Black Caps’ lack of success in Australia, though, sources have told the Herald it is not a huge motivator for Williamson, who has already toured there three times – in 2011, 2015 and 2019.

If Williamson doesn’t wish to tour Australia one last time, he could use the Black Caps’ two-test home series against India later this year as his farewell.

While the home summer schedule is yet to be released by NZC, a test at Bay Oval could be a potential red herring regarding what’s to come, as was speculated with the test against the West Indies last year.

Given Williamson’s humility, it seems unlikely any announcement of his retirement will come before his final test, akin to Daniel Vettori confirming his exit after the 2015 World Cup final was played.

The Herald also understands Williamson’s autobiography is well underway. While there are exceptions, the publication of cricketers’ books tends to coincide with retirement.

Even though he’s already given up T20 Internationals, the former Black Caps captain has proven to be sought-after in the franchise world.

Aside from deals in England, Williamson is involved with Indian Premier League (IPL) side Lucknow Super Giants as a strategic adviser, and sister outfit Durban’s Super Giants in South Africa’s SA20.

He will join the tour of Ireland from India when the IPL’s regular season ends, given Lucknow are out of finals contention.

As he said in December, Williamson doesn’t want to be in the national side if he’s not contributing to its success. He hasn’t scored a test century since December 2024, albeit that says more about New Zealand’s schedule than Williamson’s output.

Last summer’s sole series against the West Indies, which New Zealand won 2-0, brought a return of 185 runs at an average of 46.25, with only one half-century. However, there were also two unbeaten scores, 16 not out to complete victory in Wellington, and 40 not out to set up a declaration at Bay Oval.

And while Williamson indicated his desire to play at the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, the Herald understands that one last chance at the 50-over title could easily make way.

As a player, then, the only carrot to dangle in front of Williamson is the fabled mark of 10,000 test runs.

No Kiwi has ever hit that milestone, and will likely never get the chance to if Williamson doesn’t, given the shifting landscape of cricket away from tests towards T20.

Heading to England, Williamson sits on 9461. However, as a player who has never been motivated by stats or milestones, Williamson has been clear in saying he will not lose sleep if he ends his career with 9999 runs.

Speaking to the Herald after the squads for Ireland and England were named, chief selector Larsen outlined that while the urge to see a Kiwi in the 10,000 club is high, it won’t be the sole determinant of his future.

“Every New Zealand cricket fan will be rooting for Kane to score that number of runs,” he said.

“As selectors, we’re hoping and praying he plays a huge number – if not all – of the test matches we’ve got on the radar. If he goes big and pushes well past that milestone, that would be our hope and desire.

“But records, stats and milestones mean nothing to Kane. He’s all about the team, he’s all about doing what’s right for New Zealand cricket.

“That’s what’s made him such a champion over the years.”

Everyone remembers the 2019 wc final right.We all know it was truly unfair towards us and the Ben Stokes bat controversy and the boundary count rule.

Now hear this-If,If ICT fans were in place of us and if India lost a wc final like that they would make a huge ruckus.Let me just tell you they would have taken it to such an extent that it might be the end of the world.I can 100% confirm this would happen bcz I personally am a NZC fan from India.The ICT fans would have put so much pressure im pretty sure the wc trophy would have been given to them.

Now what are we doing??Everytime I think about this it just keeps getting sadder and sadder.We really need to put pressure.I dont care if we get the trophy or not.All I want is that in every cricket fans heart 2019 wc should belong to NZ.

As is the case with any sport’s golden generation, how New Zealand Cricket navigates the end of this current cycle of the men’s game is going to be key in ensuring the Black Caps can continue to succeed.

Since the mid-2010s, Kiwi cricket fans have been treated to the most successful era the game in Aotearoa has seen.

The Black Caps have reached world event finals in all three forms of the game, and won the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021.

But now, midway through 2026, the golden generation of the Black Caps appears to be in its final days. While New Zealand’s white ball side has been refreshed by new players coming in, the test side’s prestige sees places earned, rather than experiment with rotation.

Of the playing XI that won the World Test Championship, six have retired, while another is no longer a regular fixture.

In terms of bowlers, there is no cause for immediate concern. While Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner have hung up their boots, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Will O’Rourke, Jacob Duffy and others have taken up the mantle in style.

The batting ranks, though, paint a different picture. Of the Black Caps’ first-choice test XI, only one of the top six – Rachin Ravindra – is under 30 years of age.

Of the other five, captain Tom Latham has just turned 34, Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell will both be 35 by year’s end, while Kane Williamson and Tom Blundell will turn 36.

That will almost certainly see a period where all five retire within one cycle, akin to the team of 2008 that left Ross Taylor as the senior batter in his early 20s.

Immediate change isn’t necessarily needed either. Conway was arguably under pressure to keep his spot in the test side over the last summer, and responded with a career-best 227 against the West Indies.

However, Black Caps selection manager Gavin Larsen outlines that these matters are on his agenda, as the new contracting window approaches.

“There’s a lot of succession planning that takes place,” he told the Herald. “This is the period of the year where we give a lot of due attention to that.

“We’re going through our central contract ranking process at the moment. I’ll be up-front and honest, it’s been a difficult process.

“When it comes to ranking players across tests, ODIs and T20s, it can be a difficult process – but that’s healthy. It’s a real signal that our system is working nicely.

“We’ve got a number of younger, and not so young, players that are pushing through and pressing hard towards the incumbent players.”

Where, then, do the Black Caps go next? At lower levels, there are plenty of players already putting their hands up.

At the top of the order, Canterbury’s Rhys Mariu, 24, and Central Districts’ Curtis Heaphy, 22, have dominated at domestic level, and both impressed for New Zealand A – even if they’re yet to play a test match.

Wellington’s Tim Robinson, 24, has already shown he can thrive at international level, courtesy of an unbeaten 106 in a T20 International against Australia last year. While his first-class batting record is modest, averaging just under 33 from 27 matches, a career-best 130 against Sri Lanka A in spinning conditions last month shows a player worth investing in.

Canterbury’s Matt Boyle, 23, also made a century in Sri Lanka, and has the potential to become a batting allrounder when taking his more than handy leg-spin into account. Muhammad Abbas starred with the fastest half-century by a Kiwi on his ODI debut last year, even if his progress has been halted by injury.

With the gloves, Mitch Hay looms as the next cab off the rank after Blundell after his successful test debut last year, but will face stiff competition from Otago’s Max Chu, who played for New Zealand A as a specialist batter.

Considering test places are hard to come by, and with the current side effectively locked in for the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle, don’t expect major changes for the time being.

However, given New Zealand A has become an instrumental part of the Black Caps’ development pathway, Larsen is more than confident with what he’s seen.

“I was in Sri Lanka, I watched a couple of weeks of that A tour before heading up to Bangladesh to pick up the white ball series with the Black Caps,” he added.

“I was really impressed with what I saw on both tours. We even saw guys that have fashioned some good domestic performances, and because of the depth – we were pretty low in terms of our depth chart – players stepped up really well.

“It’s a nice signal all-round of our depth.”

England Women won 8 of 9 ODIs against New Zealand, every one chasing. New Zealand arrive as IWC leaders.

Match Intel: England Women vs New Zealand Women | Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street | Sun, 10 May 2026 | 03:30 PM IST | 10:00 AM GMT | 11:00 AM Local | Format: ODI - 1st Match

Series Information and Team Standings

Team	M	W	L	PTS	NRR
New Zealand Women	6	5	1	10	+2.229
England Women	0	0	0	0	0.000

Weather

• Mostly cloudy; 0-14% rain risk
• Temperature 10-13°C; cool conditions favour early seam
• Full match expected

Market Volatility and Toss Index

Factor	Statistical Impact	Tactical Recommendation
H2H toss	Toss winner won 8/9 H2H meetings	Toss critical here
H2H chasing	ENG-W won 8 of 9 H2H, all 8 chasing	Bowl first
ENG-W at venue	0 wins batting first in 6 here	Bowl first
NZ-W at venue	2 of 3 wins batting first here	Bat first

Pitch and Ground

Square	Straight	Avg 1st Inn	Avg 2nd Inn	Bat first wins	Chase wins
64m	70m	113	111	3/5 (60%)	2/5 (40%)

• Green surface; cloud cover assists swing in the first 15 overs
• Chester-le-Street is among England's lowest-scoring venues; 113 average first innings
• Spinners dominate middle overs; seamers rule early
• Conflict: H2H says bowl first; venue says bat first — H2H recent trend wins out

Sophie Ecclestone vs Amelia Kerr

Ecclestone: 20 wickets, 3.92 economy. Kerr: 22 wickets, 4.64 economy, 435 runs. Both control middle overs. Whoever uses their spinner better wins it.

Predicted Playing XIs

Charlie Dean (c), Heather Knight, Amy Jones (wk), Maia Bouchier, Emma Lamb, Freya Kemp, Dani Gibson, Ecclestone, Lauren Bell, Lauren Filer, Linsey Smith

Amelia Kerr (c), Suzie Bates, Maddy Green, Georgia Plimmer, Brooke Halliday, Gaze (wk), Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold, Bree Illing, Nensi Patel

All names verified against official squads.

Injury and Availability

Nat Sciver-Brunt: calf injury, out. Alice Capsey: illness, out for ODI leg. No other concerns.

Form and H2H

Team	Form (Oldest to Newest)	Reading
ENG-W	W L W W L	Mixed; World Cup semi-final loss to SA
NZ-W	W W L W W	Four wins from last five; strong form

England lead H2H 8-1; all 8 wins came chasing.

Phase by Phase: Where Matches Are Won

Phase	H2H 1st Inn RPO	H2H 2nd Inn RPO
0-15	4.20	4.60
16-30	4.47	4.53
31-40	4.10	3.40
41-50	3.40	1.20

The 1.20 RPO death figure reflects older matches; England's recent chasing wins all came with balls to spare.

Venue Scoring Patterns

• Venue avg 113 first innings, 111 second
• Batting first won 3 of last 5 here
• NZ-W's 2 wins here: batting first. England's 2 wins: chasing.

Win Probability

England Women 58%, New Zealand Women 42%; H2H dominance and home conditions tip it.

Hot Take

Maddy Green scores a match-defining fifty; 77.17 average makes her the most dangerous batter on the pitch.

Trivia Nuggets

• England won 8 of 9 H2H ODIs vs New Zealand; all 8 while chasing
• Toss winner won 8 of 9 H2H meetings; tonight's toss matters

Community Challenge

England won every recent H2H ODI by chasing: does New Zealand finally defend tonight?

Written with authoritative precision for r/CricketBriefing. Always verify local toss updates and radar before the first ball.

This ICC Women's Championship 2026 match preview covers H2H chasing dominance, phase analysis, and win probability for England Women vs New Zealand Women at Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street.

The ENG-W vs NZ-W 1st ODI preview includes toss impact data, venue scoring patterns, and key player matchups including the Ecclestone vs Amelia Kerr middle-overs battle.

Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street averages just 113 in the first innings across recent ODIs, making it one of the most bowler-friendly venues in England's home schedule.