
CricTracker
newspoint|22-06-2026
New Zealand star batter Glenn Phillips created a stir on social media after he showed up wearing sunglasses to face an on-song Jofra Archer during the second Test match between England and New Zealand at The Oval, London.
New Zealand scripted a famous victory over the hosts after losing the first Test match of the three-match series. The Kiwis beat the Joe Root side by 253 runs to level the series 1-1, where Glenn Phillips scored a sensational century during New Zealand’s first innings.
After the emphatic win, the right-hander was asked about his decision to wear sunglasses while facing one of the scariest pacers of our generation. To which, he responded saying that he was having some issues with the sight screen and hence could not watch the ball properly. He also joked about keeping his head safe against Archer.
“I mean, when you're looking at the sight screen like this (squints his eyes), 140 km/h is pretty quick. So I'd rather see the ball at 140 km/h than have a big glare in my eyes and not see it. So one keeps my head on and the other keeps my head off,” he said in a press conference.
Phillips further cited that his eyes are very sensitive to the light, and it has troubled him in the past, costing him his wicket. It was one of the challenging phases of the game when he decided to wear the sunglasses.
Watch the clip here -“We have a side screen very similar to it in Dunedin, so it's not the first time I've batted with sunglasses. But my eyes are very sensitive to the light. So… I've been bowled out a few times not using the sunglasses, and it's a little bit of swallow my pride, put them on, see the ball and actually give myself a good chance,” he continued.
It was a stellar show by the visitors at The Oval, where they successfully bowled England out for just 209 runs in the fourth innings of the match. Right-arm pacer Matt Henry was named Player of the Match for picking up 11 wickets during the match.




