Wicketkeeper Tom Blundell believes his decision to stand up to the stumps against fast bowlers in England—a tactical move that helped dismantle the “Bazball” era—was a clear example of New Zealand shelving individual egos for the team’s greater good.
Blundell’s fearless glovework right behind the stumps to pace bowlers allowed New Zealand to fight back from a 1–0 deficit and claim a 2–1 series victory in June.
The high-stakes strategy yielded dramatic results. Following the defeat, England captain Ben Stokes announced his retirement during the third Test, and head coach Brendon “Baz” McCullum was subsequently relieved of his duties, bringing a sudden end to their ultra-aggressive style of Test cricket.
Though the tactic carries high physical risks, Blundell managed to avoid major injury despite the daily wear and tear.
“It was just a constant sort of barrage, but I was fortunate not to get hit on the end of a finger or anything,” Blundell told AFP, describing how he woke up every morning with swollen, aching hands.
Blundell first stood up to the stumps against seamers during a 2023 Test in Wellington to restrict England’s aggressive strokeplay, following a direct request from pace bowler Matt Henry.
“We were the first ones to try it out,” Blundell recalled. “We used it for Ollie Pope initially because he was getting a long way out of his crease, and it happened quite organically. Matt Henry asked me to come up. I was quite reluctant at the time.”
“Usually, a fast bowler doesn’t want you to come up—it hurts the ego a little bit,” Blundell added. “But Matt Henry is such a team guy; he’ll do anything for the team.”
The adjustment successfully anchored England’s batters to their creases and slowed their scoring rate. It notably forced the run-out of danger man Harry Brook for a duck in the second innings of that 2023 Wellington Test—a match New Zealand famously won by just one run. The tactic proved so effective that Australian keeper Alex Carey later adopted a similar setup during Australia’s 4–1 Ashes triumph in 2025–26.
