ENG vs NZ 2026: Henry Nicholls earns The Oval Test recall after Kane Williamson exit

New Zealand have recalled Henry Nicholls to bat at No. 3 in the Test at The Oval following Kane Williamson's abrupt mid-series retirement from international cricket. The 34-year-old has played only two Tests since the start of 2024, both during New Zealand's tour of Zimbabwe last year, when Williamson was unavailable due to his commitments in The Hundred.

Although Nicholls has spent most of his Test career batting at No. 5, he was promoted to No. 3 during that Zimbabwe series and will reprise the role against England. New Zealand captain Tom Latham confirmed the move ahead of training on Tuesday, saying Nicholls' recall was a reward for his strong domestic form.

"He's someone that has a lot of international experience. He's been out of the squad for a couple of years now, but has certainly forced his way back into the squad through weight of runs at domestic level. It's a really exciting opportunity for him to come back into the side in a role at No. 3 that he's been doing for Canterbury back home,”said Latham as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

"For most of his career, he's batted No. 4 or 5. But what he's done for Canterbury over a long period of time, whenever he plays domestic cricket, he always tends to bat No. 3 or 4 as well. I think the good thing with Henry is he's always been able to adapt to situations… This is a really exciting opportunity for him to do something new in Test cricket,” he added.

Will Young was the leading alternative to bat at No. 3, having excelled in the position during New Zealand's historic series victory in India when Williamson was unavailable. However, Young's recent form has been inconsistent, and he only arrived in the UK from New Zealand over the weekend after receiving a late call-up as batting cover.

Latham admitted he was obviously gutted by Williamson's decision to retire following New Zealand's defeat in the first Test at The Oval. Nevertheless, Latham said the announcement did not come as a complete surprise, given Williamson's gradual reduction in international commitments over the past two years.

"It's been a bit of a process over a period of time. We've seen over his 16-year career, every time he's pulled the shirt on or he's been to training, he's given 100 percent and he's demonstrated the qualities that this team has, and he's done that for such a long period of time,” said Latham.

"For him to acknowledge that he's not quite right, or he can't necessarily give that 100 percent, is testament to the player he is, but also the person he is as well, that he's going to give someone else an opportunity to do that… We're obviously gutted not to have him, but we also acknowledge what he's done over his career,” he added.