October 30, 2025 • 7 mins
Last night the Black Caps won their 10th consecutive home ODI series when they beat England last night by 5 wickets.
Dismissing England for 175 runs, the star of the show was Blair Tickner, who was playing in his first international match for New Zealand in 908 days.
D'Arcy spoke with Blair to discuss his return to the Black Caps.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk zed BE.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Last night, the black Caps beat England by five wickets
to tie up the series tenth consecutive home series Odie
Eyes in a row. Now we're joined by a star
of the show, Blair Techna. Welcome to the show.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Blee.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
You have a comeback, kid, call it a comeback. You
been it for years.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
What a way to.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Return to the international scene, mate, you must be.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Rapped on it.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
Yeah, it was pretty special and thanks for calling me
a kid because I'm feeling young. But now it was
a great day out.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Your expectations around that when you got the call up
not only to cover for injury, actually to play in
the eleven. What was going through your mind after so long?
Speaker 4 (00:49):
Yeah, obviously I just got called in and I didn't
expect to play. Thallows us going there to run some
drinks and then we were sort of just having a
barbecue at Josh Clarkson house and I was flipping a
few snarlers and then I got a message saying that
he was a little bitsaw. So Ye're at Cordon So
there was a sort of a shock button. Yeah, good opportunity.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Really, when you were advancing in your career, even though
you are a kid right into your career and you
look at this opportunity, does it feel less less of
a weight on your shoulders to do well because you've
been there, done that, and you're like, I just give
it everything. It doesn't matter anymore. Have you got that
about you when you play now?
Speaker 4 (01:30):
Yeah? Pretty much. I said before the game and the
interviews that I wouldn't be putting as much pressure as
I used to on myself because I'm not really playing
for a long term position. I'm just there to help
out for the series really and see where it goes
from there. I'm not ready to putting any pressure on myself.
So yeah, it was just enjoyable yesterday. To be honest,
(01:52):
I just wanted to have fun and whatever way the
result was going, I was just going to enjoy it.
So I did that. So I was pretty stoked.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
At four for does sound like fun?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
And I think it's probably fair to say that since
you got rid of that horrible slug and that todgy
old haircut, you new man, aren't you right?
Speaker 3 (02:08):
You're playing with something new fire.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
Yeah, obviously shaved up to my wife, my hair, and
then yeah, just more streamline. I think I can bowl
into the wind now, which I've never been able to,
so I just dipped my head without them, just streamlines.
I'm pretty help with her.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
It's probably a bit personally, probably don't want to get
involved in that.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
But Howard's Sarah. She's in remission, right, Yeah, in remission.
Still got treatment until August next year. Monthly keino and
tablets every day, but no in remission. So yeah, she's
on the road to recovery, but in a really good position.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Yeah, and what was her response? And you started playing again? No,
I've lost my husband for another day.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Yeah. Yeah, she's obviously used to it. Last summer I
played with bits and pieces and then obviously back to
business now. But yeah, she's she was what was shocked
as me to be back in the black kits, to
be off And as.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Far as the future looks, you don't want to build
too far a head. But where's your head at now?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Around where the rest of your career lize?
Speaker 4 (03:13):
Oh? Well, you never know. Really, I feel like my
games in very good order, probably the best of Bold
for a while. They've been in England working on the game,
and then I've come back and I've put a lot
of work, so I just yeah, I just feel like
I'm in a good position, so there's no pressure on
me to be honest, I'm just just seeing how I
(03:36):
see how I go.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
It's so such a light attitude to consider what you've
been through to be able to carry that freshness going
into things. It's it's going to keep you youngly.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
Yeah, yeah, well I think I've got a few years
left than me, so yeah, I'm feeling I'm feeling really good,
to be honest, I yeah, my daughter keeps me younger.
I guess. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
They got a nasty habit of doing that. Playing again
in Wellington on Saturday, while I presume you are, is
Henry going to turf you back to the side again
after a foretho it's going to be hard yards to
get rid of you.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
You didn't ever know I might be back on the waters,
but it's just amazing to be around the group, to
be honest, I'm happy either way. I'm pretty good at
water boy anyway, So here I go.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
As long as you don't give it a Kyle Mills
with the water.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
You remember that from all back in the day when
you've got up in people's grills.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
Yeah, yeah, no, I'm I'm very crazy. I'm a little bit.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
How could you forget and look at the fast bawling
stocks in New Zealand. New Zealand Cricket have done really
well to develop plays because plainly quick you guys break down.
It's a horrible thing to do to your body. And
you know we've seen now with sadly Kyle Jameson going
down and Henna's as you call him, with a bit
of a tweak. But if you step back and look
(04:54):
at the stocks that New Zealand Cricket have got, this
is very impressive.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
You must be looking at go.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
I didn't realize all this talent was out there at
a domestic level.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
Yeah, I think we've seen our strong domestic competition has
been of late, and we sort of knew the players
were there and they've got opportunities that I'm taking them.
The battling socks are obviously hires, a lot of injuries around,
but yeah, it's going to be a good future in
fast ball on New Zealand the next five to ten years.
I think here's a lot of guys coming through and
putting pressure on positions, which is a healthy post to be.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
In belive technical joins us. I look at one of
the calmest guys. They call Mitch Santner flat line because
of his attitude. I think that Darryl Mitchell's a bit
flat line as well. He never seems to be bothered
by anything. They can't get him out.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
What an astonishing couple of days for him. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
Yeah, he loves the fight and when his big games
he always tends to step up. So you sort of
knew that he was going to get in the fight
there and take it down to the wire and he
just calmly did it and took us home. So it
was awesome to say.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Come back from the English. They may be happy they've
turned up with all of the New Zealanders involved in
their team, which is still hurt seeing Tim Sally applaud
something English to go figure that there's got to be
some kind of comeback.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
It's been pretty poor from them so far.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
I mean, you guys haven't basically let them play and
they'll be going what's happening here?
Speaker 3 (06:17):
So it'll be quite the fight on Saturday.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
Yeah. I think the wickets a little bit of a
little bit nice for fast bowling. There's been a little
bit of movement. Obviously, they play aggressive brand of crickets,
so sometimes it doesn't come off. So we're hoping to
take early wickets and keep them to the last score,
but they're obviously looking to get a big score, so
you never know which way is going to go.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Really, it's easy to score runs there. You just see
what Santa's doing. And he turned up at the end
of that game yesterday and so when I said I'm
going home, I'm sick of this, and.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
He just started samazing guys all over the park. That
is the most belligerent innings I think I've seen from
Mitt Santner.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
Yeah, it was a bit of a golf swing. I
think it was getting ready for today's Dolphin Wellington, so
there was a few nice shots there. I've never seen
a cricket that being swung like that for a long time,
so I was pretty impressive to finish it like that.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks.
It'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk zed BE.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Last night, the black Caps beat England by five wickets
to tie up the series tenth consecutive home series Odie
Eyes in a row. Now we're joined by a star
of the show, Blair Techna. Welcome to the show.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Blee.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
You have a comeback, kid, call it a comeback. You
been it for years.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
What a way to.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Return to the international scene, mate, you must be.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Rapped on it.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
Yeah, it was pretty special and thanks for calling me
a kid because I'm feeling young. But now it was
a great day out.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Your expectations around that when you got the call up
not only to cover for injury, actually to play in
the eleven. What was going through your mind after so long?
Speaker 4 (00:49):
Yeah, obviously I just got called in and I didn't
expect to play. Thallows us going there to run some
drinks and then we were sort of just having a
barbecue at Josh Clarkson house and I was flipping a
few snarlers and then I got a message saying that
he was a little bitsaw. So Ye're at Cordon So
there was a sort of a shock button. Yeah, good opportunity.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Really, when you were advancing in your career, even though
you are a kid right into your career and you
look at this opportunity, does it feel less less of
a weight on your shoulders to do well because you've
been there, done that, and you're like, I just give
it everything. It doesn't matter anymore. Have you got that
about you when you play now?
Speaker 4 (01:30):
Yeah? Pretty much. I said before the game and the
interviews that I wouldn't be putting as much pressure as
I used to on myself because I'm not really playing
for a long term position. I'm just there to help
out for the series really and see where it goes
from there. I'm not ready to putting any pressure on myself.
So yeah, it was just enjoyable yesterday. To be honest,
(01:52):
I just wanted to have fun and whatever way the
result was going, I was just going to enjoy it.
So I did that. So I was pretty stoked.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
At four for does sound like fun?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
And I think it's probably fair to say that since
you got rid of that horrible slug and that todgy
old haircut, you new man, aren't you right?
Speaker 3 (02:08):
You're playing with something new fire.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
Yeah, obviously shaved up to my wife, my hair, and
then yeah, just more streamline. I think I can bowl
into the wind now, which I've never been able to,
so I just dipped my head without them, just streamlines.
I'm pretty help with her.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
It's probably a bit personally, probably don't want to get
involved in that.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
But Howard's Sarah. She's in remission, right, Yeah, in remission.
Still got treatment until August next year. Monthly keino and
tablets every day, but no in remission. So yeah, she's
on the road to recovery, but in a really good position.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Yeah, and what was her response? And you started playing again? No,
I've lost my husband for another day.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Yeah. Yeah, she's obviously used to it. Last summer I
played with bits and pieces and then obviously back to
business now. But yeah, she's she was what was shocked
as me to be back in the black kits, to
be off And as.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Far as the future looks, you don't want to build
too far a head. But where's your head at now?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Around where the rest of your career lize?
Speaker 4 (03:13):
Oh? Well, you never know. Really, I feel like my
games in very good order, probably the best of Bold
for a while. They've been in England working on the game,
and then I've come back and I've put a lot
of work, so I just yeah, I just feel like
I'm in a good position, so there's no pressure on
me to be honest, I'm just just seeing how I
(03:36):
see how I go.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
It's so such a light attitude to consider what you've
been through to be able to carry that freshness going
into things. It's it's going to keep you youngly.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
Yeah, yeah, well I think I've got a few years
left than me, so yeah, I'm feeling I'm feeling really good,
to be honest, I yeah, my daughter keeps me younger.
I guess. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
They got a nasty habit of doing that. Playing again
in Wellington on Saturday, while I presume you are, is
Henry going to turf you back to the side again
after a foretho it's going to be hard yards to
get rid of you.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
You didn't ever know I might be back on the waters,
but it's just amazing to be around the group, to
be honest, I'm happy either way. I'm pretty good at
water boy anyway, So here I go.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
As long as you don't give it a Kyle Mills
with the water.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
You remember that from all back in the day when
you've got up in people's grills.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
Yeah, yeah, no, I'm I'm very crazy. I'm a little bit.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
How could you forget and look at the fast bawling
stocks in New Zealand. New Zealand Cricket have done really
well to develop plays because plainly quick you guys break down.
It's a horrible thing to do to your body. And
you know we've seen now with sadly Kyle Jameson going
down and Henna's as you call him, with a bit
of a tweak. But if you step back and look
(04:54):
at the stocks that New Zealand Cricket have got, this
is very impressive.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
You must be looking at go.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
I didn't realize all this talent was out there at
a domestic level.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
Yeah, I think we've seen our strong domestic competition has
been of late, and we sort of knew the players
were there and they've got opportunities that I'm taking them.
The battling socks are obviously hires, a lot of injuries around,
but yeah, it's going to be a good future in
fast ball on New Zealand the next five to ten years.
I think here's a lot of guys coming through and
putting pressure on positions, which is a healthy post to be.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
In belive technical joins us. I look at one of
the calmest guys. They call Mitch Santner flat line because
of his attitude. I think that Darryl Mitchell's a bit
flat line as well. He never seems to be bothered
by anything. They can't get him out.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
What an astonishing couple of days for him. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
Yeah, he loves the fight and when his big games
he always tends to step up. So you sort of
knew that he was going to get in the fight
there and take it down to the wire and he
just calmly did it and took us home. So it
was awesome to say.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Come back from the English. They may be happy they've
turned up with all of the New Zealanders involved in
their team, which is still hurt seeing Tim Sally applaud
something English to go figure that there's got to be
some kind of comeback.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
It's been pretty poor from them so far.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
I mean, you guys haven't basically let them play and
they'll be going what's happening here?
Speaker 3 (06:17):
So it'll be quite the fight on Saturday.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
Yeah. I think the wickets a little bit of a
little bit nice for fast bowling. There's been a little
bit of movement. Obviously, they play aggressive brand of crickets,
so sometimes it doesn't come off. So we're hoping to
take early wickets and keep them to the last score,
but they're obviously looking to get a big score, so
you never know which way is going to go.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Really, it's easy to score runs there. You just see
what Santa's doing. And he turned up at the end
of that game yesterday and so when I said I'm
going home, I'm sick of this, and.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
He just started samazing guys all over the park. That
is the most belligerent innings I think I've seen from
Mitt Santner.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
Yeah, it was a bit of a golf swing. I
think it was getting ready for today's Dolphin Wellington, so
there was a few nice shots there. I've never seen
a cricket that being swung like that for a long time,
so I was pretty impressive to finish it like that.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks.
It'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
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