Nathan Smith will be joining Worcestershire for the start of the 2024 season, adding his name to the list of illustrious New Zealanders who have played for the County.
Many Black Caps have excelled at New Road, from legendary batsman Glenn Turner to all-rounder Mitchell Santner last summer.
The bond between pace bowler Mitchell McClenaghan and Worcestershire has grown stronger over the past decade. In 2014, despite hearing the sad news of his father's passing back home during the first day's play against Surrey, McClenaghan chose to remain at New Road and help Worcestershire secure promotion.
He played an important role with bat and ball in a 27-run win that sealed their return to Division One of the County Championship.
Smith is currently the joint leading wicket-taker in the Plunket Shield. He is the 10th New Zealander to play for Worcestershire in the past decade.
One of the highlights was Martin Guptill's 100 off 35 balls in the group victory over Northamptonshire Steelbacks at Wantage Road during the Vitality Blast winning season of 2018.
Guptill was awarded the Walter Lawrence Trophy for scoring the fastest hundred of the 2018 domestic season.
New Zealand-born players who have represented Worcestershire
1919-20 – Frederick Abbott
1950 – Tom Wells
1967-1982 – Glenn Turner
1971-1975 – John Parker
1976 – Ian Rutherford
1985 – Brian Barrett
2006 – Lou Vincent
2014 – Mitchell McClenaghan
2014-2022 – Colin Munro
2016 – Matt Henry
2016-2023 – Mitchell Santner
2018-2019 – Martin Guptill
2019-2020 – Hamish Rutherford
2021 – Ish Sodhi
2023 – Michael Bracewell
2023 – Logan van Beek
2024 – Nathan Smith