Central Districts batting all-rounder Dean Foxcroft has earned his maiden Black Caps test call-up as New Zealand named a 19-strong squad for the upcoming tour of Ireland and England, with Kyle Jamieson, Will O’Rourke and Ben Sears all returning to the red-ball ranks.
Foxcroft, 28, joins skipper Tom Latham, the returning Kane Williamson and a refreshed pace battery for a five-test, two-month assignment that begins with a one-off test against Ireland at Stormont in Belfast on 27 May, before the side moves south for a three-match series against England starting at Lord’s on 4 June.
Foxcroft told reporters he could barely process the news. “I was blown away. It’s quite surreal. From a young age you dream about playing Test cricket or even just to be in a Test squad – so I’m buzzing and I can’t wait,” he said, after backing up a strong Plunket Shield season with eye-catching contributions during New Zealand’s recent white-ball tour of Bangladesh. Foxcroft adds genuine middle-order depth and seam-bowling cover, and his selection caps a rapid rise from domestic mainstay to test prospect inside two summers.
The biggest cheer for many fans will be the return of Kyle Jamieson. The 31-year-old has not pulled on a test cap since suffering a back stress fracture in February 2024, and the long road back has been fraught with setbacks. When fit, the towering Aucklander has been one of New Zealand’s most dangerous bowlers, with 80 test wickets at an average of just 19 across 19 matches, and he holds the New Zealand men’s record for the fastest to 50 test wickets, achieving the milestone in only nine matches.
Canterbury seamer Will O’Rourke also rejoins the squad after eight months on the sidelines. The 24-year-old took 39 wickets in 11 tests after a stunning debut against South Africa in February 2024, where he produced match figures of 9-93. A back stress fracture suffered on last year’s Zimbabwe tour kept him out of the home summer, and selectors have moved quickly to bring him back into the fold once he was cleared by medical staff. Wellington quick Ben Sears, whose only previous test appearance was a brisk 4-90 in the second innings of his 2024 Australia debut, will travel as part of the Ireland squad and as a reserve for the England series.
Kane Williamson’s return is conditional, with the former captain available for all three England tests but not selected for the Ireland fixture. Williamson last played a test against the West Indies in December and brings 9,461 test runs to a top order that has been short of senior runs for stretches over the past 18 months. His pairing with Devon Conway, Latham, Daryl Mitchell and the in-form Henry Nicholls gives the touring side a familiar core, while Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips offer all-round flexibility.
Nicholls is back in red-ball colours after a remarkable Plunket Shield campaign in which he piled up 870 runs in 11 innings to lead Canterbury to the domestic title, the most by any batter in the competition this season. He had drifted out of the test side earlier in the cycle but has forced his way back through sheer weight of runs.
There is one notable absentee. Reigning Sir Richard Hadlee Medal winner Jacob Duffy will miss both tours on paternity grounds, with selectors granting the swing bowler family leave around the birth of his first child. His absence opens the door for Ireland-test additions Kristian Clarke and Michael Rae, alongside Will Young, who will return home before the England series begins.
Head coach Rob Walter said the depth of available pacers was a welcome shift after a long stretch of injuries. “It’s a great privilege to start this next period of sustained red-ball cricket with all our pace bowlers ready to go,” Walter said.
The schedule is intense. After the Ireland test from 27 to 30 May, the Black Caps will play England at Lord’s from 4 to 8 June, at The Oval from 17 to 21 June, and at Trent Bridge from 25 to 29 June. It marks New Zealand’s first three-test series in England since the historic 2022 tour, and a chance for Latham’s side to test themselves against an England outfit that has reshaped its identity under the Bazball era.
For Foxcroft and the returning quicks, it is a chance to write a new chapter. For Williamson, it is potentially a swansong against the side he has so often tormented in English conditions. For Jamieson, it is the comeback he has spent more than two years working towards.
More on the squad announcement is available at RNZ Sport and ESPNcricinfo.
Are you tipping a New Zealand series win in England, or do you reckon the home side has too much firepower? Tell us your predicted XI and your selection bolters in the comments below.
This article was written by AI, briefed to report the facts, hopefully without some of the bias people bring to the job 🙂
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