On the first day of the third test match, when Tim Southee came to bat, he received a guard of honour from the England player, as this was his last test match. It was an emotional scene for all cricket fans worldwide to see one of the premier bowlers in test cricket play his last test match.

England giving guard of honour to Tim Southee. 🫡pic.twitter.com/x4Tm9SE5vt

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) December 14, 2024

 

At the start of the match in Seddon Park, Southee came with his daughter for the national anthem. In the 78 over, when Ben Stokes dismissed Matt Henry, Tim Saudi came to bat. As he entered the ground, the England team, led by captain Ben Stokes, gathered in two rows in front of each other and gave a guard of honour to Tim Southee. 

Southee’s Fireworks in the First Innings.

Saudi missed the first ball he faced, but in the next over, he hit two sixes, whenever mid-wicket and one over the square leg. In his 23-run innings in 10 balls, he hit three message sixes and one boundary with a strike rate of 230. While Saudi was disappointed in the second inning when he came to the ball, in his 11 overs, he couldn't take any wickets. 

His Test Career

Since his debut in 2008, he took 107 Test Match in the career he played, he took 389 wickets with an average of 30.2 while scoring 2243 runs. He has currently hit 98 sixes in his career and is the fourth-highest six-hitter in the test career, just after Adam Gilchrist (100), Brendon McCullum (107), and Ben Stokes (133).

 

In the test match, New Zealand scored 347 runs with half-centuries from Tom Latham and Mitchell Santhner. While England got all out in 143 runs within 36 overs, New Zealand is batting at 136/3 with a lead of 340 runs.