Cricket Wellington has announced Jonny Bassett-Graham as the new Head Coach of the Wellington Blaze, extending his stay with the team after leading them to the 2024/25 Dream11 Super Smash title earlier this year.

Bassett-Graham, who initially joined the Blaze in an interim capacity, brings a wealth of high-performance coaching experience to the position. Before moving to Wellington, he served as Auckland Cricket’s Head of Pathway & Talent, playing a pivotal role in developing emerging players across men’s and women’s pathways. His distinguished background also includes leading the New Zealand U19 Men’s team at the 2023 ICC U19 World Cup and assisting the Auckland Aces in the Ford Trophy.  

"I'm absolutely thrilled to be continuing this journey with the Wellington Blaze. This is a special group of players who push each other to improve every single day. Their work ethic and commitment to excellence make coming to work a genuine pleasure."

"The culture within this squad is something truly unique. These girls are driven to keep evolving their game and thrive on setting new standards for the domestic game. As a coach, that's incredibly exciting to be part of,” said Bassett-Graham.  

Cricket Wellington CEO Todd Bryant welcomed the decision, highlighting Bassett-Graham’s immediate impact.  

“We’re very pleased to have Jonny leading the Blaze programme,” said Bryant. 

“Jonny’s character, values, and connection with people make him an outstanding fit for our environment. He brings genuine leadership and high standards to his coaching, and that’s exactly what this group thrives on.”

“We have full confidence in his ability to help this talented and successful group of players keep pushing for higher standards and continued success,” he said.

The Blaze will now turn their focus to starting preparations for the 2025/26 summer. Further details on the team’s schedule and squad announcements will follow in the coming weeks.  

Article added: Tuesday 08 July 2025