BLAIR TICKNER: The COMEBACK Year & Being Hit By A JOFRA ARCHER Bouncer | The BYC Podcast

Blair Tickner has had a comeback year worth remembering. Recontracted for 2026–27, wickets against England during a historic series win, and coach Rob Walter saying he's "added new levels" to his game. Not bad for someone who two years ago wondered if the Black Caps journey was over.

Dylan Cleaver and Paul Ford welcome the Central Districts and Black Caps pace bowler in for a proper, generous conversation, the kind of chat the BYC Podcast does best.

They cover the England series (including what it was like being on the receiving end of a Jofra Archer bouncer, and whether the concussion protocols allowed for a proper series-win celebration), what it takes to come back from two years out of international cricket at 32, the specific technical adjustments that have made the second stint feel different from the first, and what actually makes Central Districts the greatest domestic cricket side in the world.

Plus the cricket gene, the pathway through CD, why New Zealand is producing a genuine cadre of quicks right now (Henry, O'Rourke, Jamieson, Fisher, Clarke, Sears, Duffy, the depth is real), Blair's distinctive bowling action and whether any coach has ever tried to "fix" it, the wickets awaiting the Black Caps in Australia, and where he sits on the NZ20 franchise league debate. Plus the barista life at the 13th Stag cafe, first-cricket-bat memories, and pre-spell rituals.

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