It'll Be Something Special If I Can Get There: Tim Southee On The 300 Test Wickets Milestone

New Zealand seamer Tim Southee has said that the Seddon Park in Hamilton is one of the few grounds that aids outswing; something he and his fellow pacers exploited to the hilt on the third day of the first Test against the West Indies.

It was Tim Southee who set the ball rolling for the Kiwis in the morning session on day 03 as he knocked over West Indies opener John Campbell and Shamarh Brooks cheaply to insinuate a typical collapse by the men from the Caribbean that saw them get bowled out for a mere 138, in response to New Zealand’s 7-519 in the first innings.

Southee, during the virtual press-conference, said that a late-night assessment of the pitch on day 02 did the trick for the home side on day 03 as they claimed 16 West Indian wickets.

“It was nice, this is one of the few grounds that favors the outswing. But we assessed through it last night and we weren’t far off,” he said in a press interaction. “We knew where we had to be for longer periods of time, and managed to get a couple early and get the ball rolling.” Tim Southee said.

 

‘You probably don’t chase such milestones’- Tim Southee

Southee, who claimed 4-15 in the first innings, was full of praise for Kyle Jamieson. Jamieson, who stroked  51 during New Zealand’s innings, chipped in three wickets across two innings, once again impressing with his discipline and line-lengths.

“He’s been a great addition at the back end of last summer, and he’s shown again here with both bat and ball. So he’s been a great asset to the side and adds another variation as well. Obviously you’ve got myself and Trent [Boult], left- and right-arm to swing it. Wags [Wagner] does his thing and then you’ve got a tall guy in him [Jamieson], who hits some challenging areas.” he added.

Tim Southee is nearing a major milestone in his Test career. The veteran bowler has claimed 289 wickets in 74 Tests at an average of 28.76. Sooner or later, he will claim the remaining 11 wickets, and when he does that, he will join the likes of Sir Richard Hadlee [431 wickets in 86 Tests at 22.29] and Daniel Vettori [361 wickets in 112 Tests at 34.15] as one of the three Kiwi bowlers to breach Mount.300 in the longest format of the game.

Southee is of-course, aware of it, but he is more focused on contributing towards victories for his country.

“[You] probably don’t chase [such milestones]. It’s something that when you play for long enough, those things happen. But yeah, it’ll be something special if I can get there. At the moment, it’s about coming back tomorrow and taking the remaining wickets. It’s just nice to contribute… and it’ll be a lot of hard work between now and then.” he signed off.

Also Read- South Africa vs England, 1st ODI: When And Where To Watch, Live Streaming Details – England Tour Of South Africa 2020-21