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New Zealand great Southee bows out after 'incredible journey'

Southee's 391 wickets is second only to Richard Hadlee in the New Zealand Test cricket history books

Published: Tue 17 Dec 2024, 10:55 AM

Updated: Tue 17 Dec 2024, 11:06 AM

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  • AFP

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New Zealand's Tim Southee waves to fans as teammates applaud him after the end of the third Test against England. — AFP

New Zealand's Tim Southee waves to fans as teammates applaud him after the end of the third Test against England. — AFP

Tim Southee said he would never forget his "incredible journey" after the New Zealand great confirmed on Tuesday he had retired fully from international cricket.

Southee said he would "fade out" a happy man after taking two wickets in his 107th and final Test, a 423-run drubbing of England in Hamilton.


The 36-year-old swing bowler then revealed he would also play no more limited-overs matches for his country, ending a record-breaking 17 years across all three formats.

"It's time for these young guys," Southee said.

"We've seen a number of them come through in the last couple of years and I'm excited to sit back and watch them continue to take this team forward.

"I've lived it for so long. So yeah, I'll be done."

Southee's 391 wickets is second only to Richard Hadlee in the New Zealand Test cricket history books.

But Southee stands alone for total New Zealand international wickets, with 776 since his debut in 2008.

He is the only player globally to take more than 300 wickets in Tests, 200 in one-day internationals (221) and 100 in Twenty20 internationals (164), with the T20 figure the most by any player.

Southee said he would pursue playing opportunities in professional T20 leagues but had decided a Test at his home ground of Seddon Park was the best way to sign off for New Zealand.

"Test cricket's the pinnacle for me and it's pretty special to win by 400-odd runs against a brilliant opposition," he said.

"It's a nice way to fade out after what's been an incredible journey.

"Every opportunity to play for New Zealand has been a special moment. It's been a great ride and I've got 17 years of memories which I'll take with me."

Southee said he would remember with particular fondness a "golden period" for New Zealand in which he shared the new ball with Trent Boult, supported by aggressive first-change exponent Neil Wagner.

The three seamers were a lethal combined force for a decade, culminating in winning the World Test Championship final against India at Lord's in 2021.

"To be a part of that was pretty special," Southee said.

"And to play alongside those two and form a pretty good friendship which will go long beyond the game as well, is, I guess, the most satisfying part of all."

Southee said he won't though miss the draining schedule of international cricket.

"I'll certainly enjoy a Christmas at home with the family," he said.

"They've been few and far between over the last how many years."

The iconic Hadlee hailed Southee's impact in New Zealand cricket on Tuesday.

"Tim is a true champion, a great New Zealand cricketer and sports person," he said in a ceremony after the match at Seddon Park on Tuesday to mark Southee's 107th and final Test.

"Tim's skill-set were admirable," he added. "The classical outswinger, the scrambled seam off-cutter are the feature of Tim's successes.

"It would have been only fitting that Tim could have ended his career if he had reached the 400 test wicket mark. In my opinion, he deserved that."

Many of Southee's wickets came in the company of his strike partner for so many years Trent Boult, who retired earlier this year, and batter Brendon McCullum, who was on hand on Tuesday as coach of England.

It was against England at Napier in 2008 that Southee made his Test debut as a teenager with a brilliant performance in a losing cause that marked him out as a special talent.

The then 19-year-old took five for 55 in England's first innings and clubbed 77 from 40 balls with nine sixes and four boundaries in a defiant second knock.

His big tail-end batting was always a feature of his game, even if he did end up two shy of his target of 100 career Test sixes after holing out for two runs in his final innings with the bat on Monday.

It is, though, with his tail up, a new ball in hand and conditions conducive to swing that he will be best remembered, with pleasure by New Zealand cricket fans but not perhaps so fondly by past opponents.

He helped New Zealand to the final of the 50-overs World Cups in both 2015 and 2019 and although they lost both, Southee did finally get his hands on a major trophy in the 2021 World Test Championship final.

He replaced Kane Williamson as Test skipper in late 2022 and oversaw six wins, six losses and two draws in his 14 Tests in charge until he hand over the captaincy to Tom Latham in October.

"He's just an outstanding servant of the game and just a huge player for us over the years," Williamson said on Monday.

"Not just on the field, those achievements are there for everybody to see, but his leadership and how he carried himself throughout his Test career.

"It's been a big part of why this team's been in a pretty strong place for some time, and he's been through all of that."

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