Jesse Daniel Ryder is a middle-order batsman for Tests and is an opening batsman in ODIs. Ryder also bowls useful medium-pace. He has previously represented his country in the Under-19 Cricket World Cup of 2002. Ryder plays his domestic cricket with Wellington after crossing there from Central Districts in 2004 and is a member of their first-class and List A teams.
In the 2007/08 season Ryder played for Wellington.
Ryder first gained national selection in December 2007, representing the New Zealand XI against Bangladesh in a Twenty/20 charity match. The New Zealand XI contained nine Black Caps and two up-and-coming players, Ryder and Tim Southee. Unfortunately due to injury he was unable to play the match.
On 30^th January 2008, Ryder was chosen in the 12-man Twenty20 squad and the 13-man ODI squad to play against England. New Zealand Cricket Selection Manager, Richard Hadlee said “Jesse has the potential to provide an explosive start alongside Brendon McCullum at the top of the innings in both forms of the game.” Ex-cricketer Adam Parore subsequently hit out at the selector’s decision to pick Ryder, claiming that he was “too fat” and “in no fit state to play for New Zealand.”
In his first two Twenty20 games for NZ against England, Ryder scored 22 and 12 as New Zealand went on to lose both games heavily. In his first two ODI games Ryder scored 31 and 79 in a vastly improved New Zealand performance. In the second ODI, he and Brendan McCullum set a new partnership record for any wicket against England with a combined total of 165 in 18.1 overs and New Zealand won by ten wickets. The previous record was Martin Crowe and Geoff Howarth’s 160 at Eden Park in 1984. McCullum scored more runs (80) off less balls (47) but Ryder (79 off 62) was named player of the match.

He was also the best NZ batsman in the tests, narrowly out-scoring Ross Taylor. Ryder made his maiden test century (102) in the first test at Hamilton, where he shared a partnership of 186 with Vettori (118), in the first innings.