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In England, Henry Nicholls quarantines ahead of his test series
The batman from New Zealand tried to see some cricket wind down
The channel repeated the final of the 2019 World Cup.
In his quarantine at England in 2019, Henry Nicholls was met with a repeat of New Zealand’s dramatic loss against England.
Batsman from New Zealand Henry Nicholls had an unwelcome beginning of quarantine in England when he turned on TV and saw a repetition of the final 2019 World Cup. A remarkable match at Lord’s was only determined in England’s favour, following a mandatory Super Over, when they tied the number of New Zealand to 50 Overs at the end of their regulatory period. In a squad’s isolation time, Nicholls, NZ’s top scorer in match 55, sought light relief at Ageas Bowl headquarters in Hampshire near Southampton, when faced with the extraordinary events of two years ago.
“I had not really been thinking about this game for a while and then I switched to a cricket channel the first day we arrived here, and a replay took place,” Nicholls told Britain’s Press Association news agency.
“I don’t know whether it was stage or psychological, but I’m sure we’d do the same thing!”
He added: “Think about it is a funny one. You still think you could have won an extra run or saved a run in the field. But as a group we did everything we could and we are proud. It was a journey of two months, we went so far, but we didn’t win.
“What a cricket game it was and it was the finale of the World Cup was just amazing.”
However, New Zealand is now back in England to compete for another global title.
Following a two-test series next month against England, India will face the World Test Championship inaugural from 18-22 June, although this show match will be at the Ageas Bowl rather than at Lord, because of the need for a safe bubble in the middle of the coronaviral pandemic.
New Zealand will, however, return to Lord’s ‘Home of Cricket,’ the tour where the first test against England will take place.
“There’s a mystic about it when a young cricketer grows up,” Nicholls said. “It would be fun to come and play again, but the format is totally different and the team is entirely different.
“There is meaning back to us, but we know that this is a lot different from correcting any mistakes we had last time.”
Test cricket takes the 29-year-old left hander in fine shape, with his best score of 174 against the West Indies in Wellington in December, followed by Pakistan in January in 157 against Christchurch.
Now Nicholls wants to join the selected group of batsmen in New Zealand, including the current Captain Kane Williamson, who have tested 100 at Lord’s and are given a seat on the honorary dressing room team.
“It’d be terrific,” he said. “It’s nice to go, look at the names and see some kiwis up there.
“It would be special to get your own name up there, you suppose.”
