New Zealand Thrashes England to Give Southee a Grand Send-off

Photo: Facebook/Blackcaps

New Zealand's cricketers put on a fantastic show on Tuesday, defeating England by a massive 423 runs in the third Test to give a fitting send-off to Tim Southee, who retired after the match.

On the fourth day in Hamilton, New Zealand's bowlers made quick work of England’s batting. They took seven wickets in just 41.2 overs, and England was all out for 234 runs. This victory was New Zealand's largest in terms of runs, tying their biggest win ever, and was a strong turnaround from the first two Tests. In those matches, England had won easily, claiming the series before this final Test.

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Southee, playing in his final Test match on his home ground at Seddon Park, was a key part of the victory. The fast bowler finished with figures of 2 wickets for 34 runs. Throughout his remarkable career, he took 391 Test wickets, making him New Zealand’s second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, just behind Richard Hadlee.

“I want to thank New Zealand Cricket for everything you’ve done for me, and my family for supporting me through all the ups and downs,” said the 36-year-old Southee. “And of course, a big thank you to my teammates, who made this journey so much more enjoyable. Finally, I want to thank the fans for their support – it was special playing here in front of such a great crowd.”

England’s chances were made even slimmer after their captain, Ben Stokes, was forced to sit out due to a hamstring injury. Stokes couldn’t bat, leaving England needing to take nine more wickets to win. He admitted that ending the series this way was disappointing. “You can’t fault the energy and effort we put into the game,” said Stokes. “It’s not ideal to end the series like this, but New Zealand played well and didn’t give up.”

England’s batting collapse began early on the fourth day. They resumed at 18-2 and quickly fell behind, with key players getting out. Jacob Bethell, who had scored 76 runs, Joe Root, who made 54, and Harry Brook, who could only manage one run, were all dismissed before lunch. Bethell and Root had been looking solid, with a 104-run partnership for the third wicket, but Root was dismissed surprisingly. He attempted a sweep shot off Mitchell Santner but was given out LBW after New Zealand reviewed the decision and confirmed it with ball-tracking technology. Root fell just 28 runs short of 13,000 Test runs, a huge milestone in his career.

Brook, who had been in excellent form during the previous Tests, was dismissed cheaply again, caught behind off Will O’Rourke’s sharp delivery. Bethell continued to play well, hitting 13 fours and a six, but he was caught at deep point after swinging at a wide delivery from Southee.

Ollie Pope was bowled out for 17 runs when he tried to reverse scoop a delivery from Matt Henry. Gus Atkinson, who scored a quick 43 runs, was caught in the deep off Santner, and then Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse also fell cheaply, trying to hit big shots off Santner.

Santner, who had been recalled to the team, was New Zealand’s star performer in this Test. He finished with 4 wickets for 85 runs in the second innings and took 7 wickets in total for the match. Santner also made useful contributions with the bat, scoring 76 and 49 in New Zealand’s first innings.

This dominant victory was a great way for New Zealand to end the series, and a fitting farewell to one of their best players, Tim Southee. It showed the strength of the team and the depth of their talent, even after England had claimed the series in the first two Tests.

Dec. 17, 2024 1:45 p.m. 433

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