November 4, 2026, at Eden Park in Auckland produced one of the more unlikely batting cameos in recent ODI history. With New Zealand reduced to 146 for 9 in the 36th over after Glenn Phillips walked back to the pavilion, Blair Tickner strode out as the last man against India. The fast bowler proceeded to rewrite the record books from the No. 11 position.
Tickner’s knock read 34 runs off 23 balls, featuring 1 four and 4 sixes at a strike rate of 147.83. Those four maximums from the final batting slot equalled the ODI record for the most sixes struck by a No. 11 batter in a single innings. The Kiwis were eventually bowled out for 185 in 40.2 overs, and Tickner’s 34 stood as the highest individual score across the entire New Zealand batting card, making him the side’s top scorer on the day against India in Auckland.
Beyond his batting, Tickner also claimed the wicket of Gurnoor Brar during the match, adding a bowling contribution to what was already a memorable all-round outing for the tailender.
Who else has hit 4 sixes batting at No. 11 in an ODI innings?
Tickner now shares the record with two Pakistan fast bowlers who produced explosive cameos from the same position in different eras. At Nottingham in 2016, Mohammad Amir became the first No. 11 batter to clear the boundary four times in a single ODI innings, doing so against England. Then, at Hamilton in 2025, Naseem Shah replicated that feat for Pakistan against New Zealand. Tickner’s effort at Eden Park in 2026 means three fast bowlers, representing three separate generations of the game, now hold the mark jointly. It is a record that has been set exclusively by pace bowlers, each time in a match where their side needed every run possible from the lower order.
How did Tickner’s innings shape New Zealand’s total?
The context of Tickner’s arrival made his contribution all the more significant. At 146 for 9 with the innings deep into the 36th over, New Zealand’s total appeared set to fall well short of a competitive score. His 34-run burst off 23 deliveries shifted that picture, helping the Kiwis add a meaningful lower-order surge and carry the total to 185 all out in 40.2 overs. The fact that no other batter in the New Zealand lineup managed to surpass his tally underlines how much the tail-end assault shaped the final score against India at Eden Park. For a side that had struggled through the middle overs, Tickner’s cameo provided both runs and a measure of respectability to the total.
