New Zealand batter Kane Williamson has expressed his excitement about playing at Lord’s Cricket Ground ahead of the Black Caps’ first Test against England on June 04.
In 2025, Williamson signed a contract with the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) to play for Middlesex and the London Spirit, both based at Lord’s. This decision meant giving up his New Zealand central contract, and he will participate in this series without one.
With no future schedule set between New Zealand and England before 2027, this may be Williamson’s last Test at this historic venue, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.
“It is always a special Test match. Over your career, you may only get a handful of opportunities to play here at Lord’s,” Williamson said at the pre-match conference.
New Zealand‘s last Test at Lord’s was in June 2022, where they lost to England by five wickets in Ben Stokes’ first Test as captain. Joe Root played a key role, scoring a century to lead England to a successful chase of 277.
Williamson praised the tradition and history of the venue, highlighting the experience it offers to players making their first appearance there.
“The way they maintain the tradition is quite special. Lord’s has a unique history. Walking out to the pitch through the long room and experiencing the iconic lunches are memorable,” he said. “Many players in the dressing room are excited for their first time here.”
At 35, Williamson has average statistics at Lord’s, with 32 runs over eight innings. However, he scored an impressive 132 in 2015, which placed him on the Honours Board, despite New Zealand losing the match by 124 runs.
“The Honours Board is a big topic. It was a great game of cricket, even though we lost. We scored 700 runs and took 20 wickets—on any other day, we’d be happy with that,” he recalled. “The pitch conditions changed, making it challenging, which is common in England with the Dukes ball. It remains a fond memory for me,” he added.
New Zealand’s Test squad for the tour of England 2026
Tom Latham (captain & wicketkeeper), Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Kane Williamson, Zak Foulkes, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Will O’Rourke, Blair Tickner, and Mitchell Santner.