NZ vs Eng, 1st Test – New Zealand’s Nathan Smith is ready to step up after taking the scenic route to the Tests
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NZ vs Eng, 1st Test – New Zealand’s Nathan Smith is ready to step up after taking the scenic route to the Tests

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

He imagined himself being Tim Southee when he played backyard cricket and Kane Williamson or Ross Taylor when he batted. He then watched as a spectator at Hagley Oval in 2016 as Matt Henry hurled bouncers at Steven Smith from the pitches. Eight years later he will step into Hagley Oval as Black Cap and share the stage with some of his heroes.
He can make the new ball spin around. He can make the old man do the reverse strike and slide off the field. He is also a capable batsman in the order. Meet 26-year-old all-rounder Nathan Smith.
Just two weeks after making his white-ball debut for the Black Caps in Sri Lanka, Smith is likely to feature in his first Test with World Test Championship (WTC) points at stake. He received his first NZC contract in September, before he had even won a cap for New Zealand. Although this is partly due to Devon Conway and Finn Allen opting out of their contracts, it highlights the all-format promise that Smith brings and the confidence that the New Zealand team management has in his abilities.
However, the road to the New Zealand Test team was long and winding for Smith. Originally from the small town of Oamaru, Smith made his first grade debut as an 18-year-old in April 2016 and spent his formative years under Rob Walter, South Africa’s current white-ball coach, in Otago before a staff reshuffle is set to move to Wellington ahead of the 2021/22 domestic season.
Smith immediately impressed in his first Plunket Shield season for Wellington, emerging as joint-highest wicket-taker. A serious back injury requiring surgery meant he was sidelined the next season, but he made a spectacular recovery in the 2023/24 season, with his table-topping 33 wickets central to Wellington’s title chase.

A fitter, stronger Smith is now ready to take on the strain of international cricket.

“Yeah, I think the last couple of years, other than the last six months and the 18 months before that, have been challenging,” Smith said recently. “A few stress fractures in the back, those are pretty trying times, but I think you kind of learn a lot about yourself through that. It also gives you a bit of perspective and it’s a lot better to play than to spend a lot.” Time to sit on the couch and watch.

“So it’s nice to play consistently over a long period of time and I think that’s probably why the results are so good, you know, just playing all the time.”

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