New Zealand allrounder becomes only the third Kiwi batter to score centuries in all three formats

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

Glenn Phillips dedicated his maiden Test century to his late father after producing a memorable innings for New Zealand against England.

The milestone carried extra emotional significance, with Phillips revealing that the following day marked the anniversary of his father’s passing. Test cricket, he said, had always been his father’s favourite format.

At the same time, Phillips etched his name into New Zealand cricket history by becoming only the third batter, after Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill, to score centuries in all three international formats.

Phillips compiled his century in three phases. He raced to 33 off 23 balls on the opening evening, then adopted a patient approach to reach 49 not out overnight before accelerating again on day two to complete his hundred off exactly 100 runs.

His battle with Jofra Archer was one of the highlights of the innings. Phillips repeatedly ducked and swayed away from a barrage of short-pitched deliveries aimed at his upper body, describing it as a repeat of a similar duel they had during a New Zealand A match in 2019.

While Archer kept him relatively quiet, Phillips dominated England’s other bowlers, scoring 87 of his 100 runs against the rest of the attack and particularly targeting Sonny Baker.

The century was also a reward for Phillips’ persistence in Test cricket. Despite playing 19 Tests, he has rarely batted in the top six, but New Zealand’s management has continued to back his all-round abilities and commitment to improving his game.

Phillips said he always felt a Test hundred was inevitable but stressed that personal milestones come second to team success, echoing Kane Williamson’s philosophy of putting the team first.

The 29-year-old also revealed he had been preparing for the Test series even during his time with Gujarat Titans in the IPL, making use of the franchise’s facilities despite being dropped midway through the tournament.

After adjusting quickly to the Dukes ball in England, Phillips has emerged as New Zealand’s standout batter in the series, having already been the leading run-scorer in the opening Test at Lord’s and now registering the only century by either side so far.