JOE WOZNIAK: The New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter saw his newly-born son admitted to hospital in the days prior to the Bay Oval Test, leading to a difficult build-up, before hitting a fourth century on day two
Tom Blundell admits to having had limited preparation time ahead of the first England Test due to his newly-born child being in hospital ahead of the match at Bay Oval.
Just days after son Freddie was born, a respiratory syncytial virus forced him back into hospital.
After making a full recovery, Blundell quickly made his way to Mount Maunganui and on day two recorded his fourth Test century in New Zealand's first innings, a battling knock as the Kiwis fought back from being reduced to 83 for 5.
"Everything was fine when my son Freddie was born and we took him home that day," Blundell told BBC Sport.
"But then he picked up RSV, which is quite common and going around New Zealand, so we had to take him back to hospital for three or four days.
Blundell reached his fourth Test century days after fretting over the health of his newborn son (Phil Walter/Getty Images)
"It was quite a scary moment, especially with him being so fragile. Luckily for us, he's back home and doing really well."
The episode came amid a heavily-disrupted build-up for much of the squad due to the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle which battered the north island of New Zealand.
But it meant Blundell, 32, arrived for the Test with a clear mind and ensured he could focus purely on his game.
"Having a child puts life into perspective a little bit," he says. "There's more to life than a game of cricket so I came into the Mount baggage-free.
"I hadn't trained or picked up a bat for a week, which was quite a nice feeling and teaches you to trust your process and what you've done for a number of years."
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