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WellingtonWicketkeeper batter
Tom Blundell
- Age
- 36y 58d
- Bats
- Right-hand
- Bowls
- Right-arm off break
- From
- Wellington
- Age
- 36y 58d
- Bats
- Right-hand
- Bowls
- Right-arm off break
- From
- Wellington
Tom Blundell is a New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman whose road to international cricket proved a patient one. His early grounding came at the 2010 Under-19 World Cup, where his teammates included Tom Latham and James Neesham. Several players from that age-group squad reached the senior New Zealand side well before he did.
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At domestic level he represented Wellington, making his first-class debut for them in 2013. Consistent runs on the home circuit kept his name in contention. The 2016-17 Super Smash was a standout campaign: he finished as the top run-getter among wicketkeeper-batsmen in the competition, with 243 runs.
The breakthrough came in January 2017. When Luke Ronchi was injured, Blundell was brought in for the final T20I of the series against Bangladesh. He was then added to the ODI squad for the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.
His first opportunity in Test cricket arrived in December 2017, when an injury to BJ Watling opened a spot for the home series against West Indies. Blundell marked the occasion with a hundred and appeared calm during his innings. Watling's retirement following the 2021 World Test Championship final then left the way clear for Blundell to take over as the Test side's regular keeper.
He has been regarded as a capable gloveman, though his batting has been inconsistent at times, notably in away conditions. In 2022 he made a hundred against England in a pink-ball Test. According to the source, that innings is one of four Test centuries he has recorded.
