![Glenn Phillips wears goggles to counter Jofra Archer [Source: X]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1781786753257_GlennPhillipswearsgoggles.jpg?type=hq)
Glenn Phillips wears goggles to counter Jofra Archer [Source: X]
Not all the batters survive on the technicalities of batting alone. Glenn Phillips survives on the nuances, one that he created during the second Test between England and New Zealand at the iconic Oval.
Glenn Phillips rocked a pair of sunglasses while coming to bat at The Oval, specifically shielding New Zealand after a middle-order crisis. While the sight of sunglasses is not new in the world of cricket, a batter rocking one is extremely rare, and Phillips became one to do so.
Phillips And His Antics Save The Day For New Zealand
Earlier, Australia’s Steve Smith was seen using Chanderpaul patches under his eyes to get help from the extra reflectivity on a bouncy pitch in red ball cricket during The Ashes 2025-26. Now, Phillips’ new tactical inclusion seems awkward, but it can be a lifesaver for batting dynamics.
England is not known to be typically hot, but the extra sunny weather and a sightscreen obstruction prompted Glenn to tweak his eyewear and bring in the pair of sunglasses that everyone talked about.
Coming to bat after Daryl Mitchell as the Kiwis struggled at 188-5, Phillips’ innovation with the sunglasses caught special attention. However, that certainly helped the sharp all-rounder survive the barrage of bullets from England pacer Jofra Archer.
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Glenn Phillips Calls For Rare Equipment To Bat Against Jofra Archer
While batting in the 67th over, Phillips called in for a pair of sunglasses from the dugout as Archer was bowling. Phillips signalled for the equipment, especially for sunlight reflecting off the sightscreen that was obstructing his sight during Archer’s over.
Phillips stood strong at the crease and finished the day unbeaten alongside Kyle Jamieson on 49. After initially pairing with Tom Blundell for 75 runs, the middle order collapsed quickly, with Blundell and Nathan Smith lost within a span of six overs.
Phillips Resilience And Lower Order Fort Defends Kiwi Collapse
Now, call it a technical masterstroke or a nuance, Phillips, donning the pair of sunglasses under his helmet, survived the day and also lit up Day 2 with his antics to total a ton from 135 deliveries before he was dismissed by Matthew Fisher in the 97th over.
Phillips bagged 18 boundaries from his innings before he was sent back to end New Zealand’s first innings for a total of 391 runs.
Although the Kiwi top order failed to impress, Blundell’s 51, Jamieson’s resilient knock alongside Glenn Phillips and Daryl Mitchell’s 44 helped the visitors put up a decent total in front of the English bowling attack.
Jacob Bethell Shines With The Ball For England
Surprisingly, Jacob Bethell was the pick of the bowlers for England in the first innings. He took 3 wickets from his 10 overs, while the ever dangerous Jofra Archer, coming back from a ravishing IPL, finished with figures of 2/61.
Mathew Fisher, Josh Tongue, and debutant Sonny Baker also contributed with crucial wickets to help lay the foundation for the trouble that ran deep inside the Kiwi batting order.
As of the current play, ahead of Lunch on Day 2, England looked quite confident with Ben Duckett and Emilio Gay taking the crease as openers and standing at 15/0 at the end of three overs. Meanwhile, Glenn Phillips attends the field with his ever-sharp fielding attributes and a pair of sunglasses.
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