WELLINGTON — When Matt Henry takes the field in this week’s second Test against England he will do so as one of the world’s premier fast bowlers and a player who was key to New Zealand’s stunning 3-0 series win in India last month.

Yet his rise to the top of the international game, including playing in his country’s 50-over World Cup final defeats in 2015 and 2019, owes much to the formative experience of living and playing cricket in East Anglia as a teenager.

Henry, now 32, moved to Suffolk as an 18-year-old to spend his final year of sixth form at St Joseph’s College as part of an exchange programme with his school, St Bede’s in Christchurch.

Josh Davey, who would later be a team-mate of Henry’s at Somerset, went the other way.

St Joseph’s, on the outskirts of Ipswich, counts England rugby player Lewis Ludlam among its famous alumni. Henry, four year’s Ludlam’s senior, played cricket and rugby for the school.

But he also came of age as a bowler during his year in England, playing senior cricket for the first time with Halstead Cricket Club, across the border in Essex.

Henry talks fondly of his time at Halstead in 2010 as he sits down with The i Paper in Wellington, saying: “They are an absolutely brilliant club, they really looked after me. I was only 18 and it was my first proper experience of senior cricket.

“It was a big life experience, first time away from home and just really cool, surrounded by good people. The club was fantastic for my cricket just experiencing English conditions and developing as a player.”

Henry took 32 wickets in 19 appearances for the club in the East Anglian Premier League and would often spend the night on team-mate’s couches rather than make the 30-mile journey back to Ipswich, where he boarded at St Joseph’s, in between matches on Saturdays and Sundays.

After getting back to New Zealand, it was less than a year before Henry made his first-class debut for Canterbury. Within three years he would be playing for his country, making his international debut against India in an ODI at Wellington in January 2014.

The following year Henry made his Test debut against England at Lord’s, taking six wickets. His various stints in club and county cricket – Henry has played for Worcestershire, Derbyshire, Kent and Somerset – have helped make him the player he is today.

But it was that first experience in East Anglia that started it all off.

“I have fond memories of England from that experience and I’ve been back ever since really,” he says. “Every summer I’ve gone back. I’ve played club cricket, county cricket.”

Henry’s last spell in the county game came with Somerset in 2023, when his 31 wickets helped them to the T20 Blast title. He also took 32 wickets at 16.18 in the County Championship. There was also a spell with Welsh Fire in the Hundred in the 2023 and 2024 summers.

It is no surprise he has a soft spot for the English game and he was full of praise for the depth of talent in county cricket that has helped unearth two new Test stars for England this winter in fast bowler Brydon Carse and 21-year-old all-rounder Jacob Bethell, who both starred in last week’s first-Test win for Ben Stokes’ team in Christchurch. The pair were born overseas but came through the ranks at Durham and Warwickshire respectively.

“For Carse to get 10 wickets in his third Test match is a hell of an effort and he bowled bloody well,” says Henry. “And then no surprise with Bethell. He’s a confident player who’s got an attacking mindset.

“Being lucky enough to play a lot of county cricket and see the talent pool that England has it’s no surprise these guys are coming in and finding their feet pretty quickly. There’s a lot of experience around county cricket and exposure to world-class players. So there’s guys coming in almost ready to take that step up to international cricket. It’s great to see.”

There was also a lot of love for Brendon McCullum, England’s Kiwi coach who was Henry’s captain when he started out in international cricket.

“When I look at my time with Brendon as captain his big skill was the ability to strip all the external noise and allow you to just focus on the cricket and enjoy yourself,” he said. “The way he gets people and the team on the same page is incredible.

“When he was my captain you felt like you could really back yourself no matter whether it’s your first Test or you’ve played a hundred. I think when you’re looking at the way he goes about his work, the confidence and belief he instils in players says everything about him as a leader and a person.”

McCullum’s legacy of moulding a team who played without fear and with a genuine identity that meant they regularly overachieved remains eight years after his international retirement in 2016.

India, when the Black Caps shocked the world to become the first touring team to win a Test series in the country for 12 years, was evidence of that.

“At the end of the day we’re representing New Zealand and we’re a proud bunch of Kiwis so for us playing cricket and doing it in our fashion hopefully entertains everyone at home,” said Henry.

As for that series in India, which saw Henry set the tone with a haul of five for 15 as the hosts were routed for 46 on day one of the first Test in Bangalore, the New Zealander admits: “It was an incredible series. To go over there and achieve that 3-0 win was massive and something we’re immensely proud of.

“But the nature of international cricket means you’re quickly onto the next thing. Starting our home summer against England is huge for us. I’m sure India will sink in but maybe over time you’ll sit back and reflect. But, yeah, it was pretty special.”