A real fillip for Phillips

Six-test Black Cap Will Somerville has announced his retirement from professional cricket at the age of 38.

The veteran offspinner will step away after the Auckland Aces’ final Plunket Shield match against the Central Stags in Nelson over April 1-4.

Somerville made his first-class debut for Otago in 2004-05 before moving to Australia and representing New South Wales in all three formats between 2014-15

bowl off-spin, despite having an inferior first-class batting record and a similar bowling record to and 2017-18. Moving to Auckland with his family was a life-changing event for Somerville as he made his debut for Auckland in 2018-19 before being almost immediately called up to represent the Black Caps for their successful test tour of the United Arab Emirates.

He made his test debut aged 34 against Pakistan in the UAE in December 2018, and finished his test career with 15 wickets at an average of 48.26.

Phillips, while a potential opening higher up the order appears to have been closed thanks to

Henry Nicholls’ double-century against Sri Lanka last weekend, which ended a sustained run of poor form at No 4.

The Black Caps finished the home summer with three wins in a row against England and Sri Lanka – two of them in dramatic, late fashion – but Phillips said it hadn’t been tough watching on from afar, during a domestic firstclass season where he has scored 347 runs at an average of 69, with one century and two fifties.

‘‘We’ve got a huge team first mentality and it doesn’t matter whether you’re on the field or off the field, you support the boys and the lads that go out there,’’ he said.