Henry Nicholls (cricketer)

Henry Nicholls
Personal information
Full name
Henry Michael Nicholls
Born 15 November 1991
Christchurch, New Zealand
Batting Left-handed
Bowling Right-arm off-break
Role Top-order batter
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 269) 12 February 2016 v Australia
Last Test 17 March 2023 v Sri Lanka
ODI debut (cap 189) 26 December 2015 v Sri Lanka
Last ODI 20 December 2023 v Bangladesh
ODI shirt no. 86
T20I debut (cap 69) 26 March 2016 v Bangladesh
Last T20I 10 September 2021 v Bangladesh
T20I shirt no. 86
Domestic team information
Years Team
2011/12–present Canterbury
2015/16 Sydney Thunder
2018 Derbyshire
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA
Matches 56 72 118 141
Runs scored 2,973 1,960 7,042 4,831
Batting average 37.16 35.63 39.34 42.75
100s/50s 9/12 1/14 16/37 7/31
Top score 200* 124* 200* 178
Catches/stumpings 36/– 26/– 95/– 60/–
Source: Cricinfo, 9 December 2023

Henry Michael Nicholls (born 15 November 1991) is a New Zealand cricketer who represents the New Zealand national team and plays for Canterbury in domestic first-class cricket. He has two older brothers, one of whom, Willy Nicholls, is a media correspondent for the Black Caps and White Ferns. He has also been the captain of the reserve A side since 2017. Nicholls was a member of the New Zealand team that won the 2019–2021 ICC World Test Championship.

International career

In December 2015, Nicholls was named in New Zealand's One Day International (ODI) squad for their series against Sri Lanka. He made his ODI debut on 26 December 2015 at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, which is his home ground for Canterbury. He scored 23 not out off 21 balls in that game as New Zealand won by 7 wickets.

He scored 82 runs, against Pakistan on 25 January 2016 at Basin Reserve, which became a match-winning knock at the end. New Zealand won the match by 70 runs and Nicholls was adjudged man of the match.

He made his Test debut on 12 February 2016 against Australia.

In February 2016, Nicholls was added to New Zealand's squad for the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 tournament, also as a backup wicketkeeper to Luke Ronchi. He made his Twenty20 International debut for New Zealand on 26 March 2016 against Bangladesh in the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 tournament.

In March 2017, during the second Test against South Africa at the Basin Reserve, Wellington, Nicholls scored his first century in Tests, scoring 118 in the first innings.

In May 2018, he was one of twenty players to be awarded a new contract for the 2018–19 season by New Zealand Cricket. In January 2019, during the third ODI against Sri Lanka, Nicholls scored his first ODI century, making 124 not out off 80 balls.

In April 2019, he was named in New Zealand's squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup. In the final, he top scored for New Zealand with 55 runs. In November 2020, Nicholls was named in the New Zealand A cricket team for practice matches against the touring West Indies team.

In November 2023, Nicholls was reported to New Zealand Cricket for an issue surrounding ball tampering during a Plunket Shield fixture between Auckland and Canterbury. In the 32nd, 35th and 37th over Nicholls was caught rubbing the ball against his helmet. During the second ODI against Bangladesh, on 20 December 2023, he scored 95 runs and completed his 2000 runs in ODIs,