Nicholls’ smashing innings a star turn
Smashed em, bro.
The Crowd Goes Wild television segment has an early frontrunner in 2018, and New Zealand cricketer Henry Nicholls is proud.
On Saturday he didn’t feel too flash after his helmeted head collided with Pakistan bowler Mohammad Amir’s right-arm midpitch at Wellington’s Basin Reserve.
‘‘I hit it all right and was looking to see if we could get two, and at the last split second I turned to see his shoulder. I got a real big piece of it and it reminded me of playing rugby when I was younger, just getting smashed,’’ Nicholls said.
‘‘I felt bad because I was a little bit in the wrong but luckily he was all right and I was fine. If that’s not No 1 on ‘Smashed Em Bro’ I don’t know what is.’’
It looked ugly as Nicholls reeled away and Amir hit the ground and stayed down, but after receiving treatment both continued.
It also meant Nicholls’ teammates had more to talk about than his excellent knock of 50 off 43 balls, which vaulted New Zealand to a ground record total of 315-7 in the first one-day international. They won by 61 runs, via the Duckworth-Lewis method, after a dominant performance.
‘‘I took a bit in the chin and the
guys showed me the slow-mo afterwards just to show how embarrassing it was. It looked worse on TV and the helmet is fine, it passed the test.’’
He might be an accidental enforcer after his tangle with Amir, but Nicholls played the role of batting finisher to perfection.
The No 6 spot can be tricky in ODIs; either consolidating after a flurry of early wickets or required to hit out from ball one to lift the rate and guide an innings home in the final 10.
Nicholls arrived after the quick departures of Ross Taylor and Tom Latham at 198-4 after 34 overs, and departed in the 49th, job done and his Black Caps within sight of the first 300-plus total at the Basin Reserve.
‘‘It’s a little bit of everything. The nature of my game, like yesterday on a bigger ground, trying to access a lot of twos and running hard.
‘‘Also, I’m trying to access that power game and the ability to clear the rope. It’s a bit of both, and reading the situation and what it requires.’’
Nicholls hit just four boundaries and showed a finisher doesn’t have to swing hard and clear the rope at will to be effective.
He showed glimpses of a power game, too, in a rapid 83 not out against West Indies in Christchurch last month. The 26-year-old left-hander is now 18 matches into his ODI career and averages 39.41 at a strike rate of 90.
Saturday’s knock saw New Zealand’s batting blueprint play out as well as they’d hoped, in what coach Mike Hesson and captain Kane Williamson rated an above par total considering Pakistan bowled reasonably well and were sharp in the field.
Colin Munro blazed 58 off 35 balls, then opening partner Martin Guptill (48 off 72) took the pressure off Williamson who had time to set himself before unleashing his 10th ODI century, 115 off 117 balls. Nicholls added the icing when momentum was needed.
‘‘He just injected some energy into our partnership and it was a fantastic knock. It was really important for us to take the game a little bit deeper and he took the initiative and scored quite freely,’’ Williamson said of Nicholls.