Tim Southee of New Zealand leads his team from the field in his final test match (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)
Tim Southee called it quits after New Zealand’s consolation 423-run win against England in the third Test at Hamilton earlier this month. Southee was New Zealand’s finest fast bowler after Richard Hadlee and made a big impact across all formats. He broke many records during his distinguished 16-year career spanning from 2008 till 2024.
RG looks at 10 numbers which have defined his international career.
391 – The second-highest number of wickets for NZ in Test Cricket
Southee bagged 391 wickets in 107 Tests at an average of 30.26 and strike rate of 60. Only Richard Hadlee with 431 dismissals in 86 matches has a higher tally for New Zealand.
234 – The highest number of wickets in New Zealand
Southee returned with 234 wickets at home and is the leading wicket-taker in New Zealand. Hadlee is at number 2 with 201 dismissals.
47 – Most wins in Test cricket for a New Zealand player
Southee was part of 47 Test victories for New Zealand – the most for any player from New Zealand. He is followed by Ross Taylor, Tom Latham and Kane Williamson who had 44 wins each.
2018-2021 – Southee’s Golden Period in Test Cricket
Southee was at his peak in the four-year period between 2018 and 2021 during which he bagged 114 wickets in just 23 matches at an average of 22.25 and strike rate of 48.6. No bowler had picked more fifers than Southee’s 7 in this time-frame!
10-108 – Southee’s best Test performance in a match
Southee returned with 10-108 against New Zealand at Lord’s in 2013, albeit in a losing cause. It was his only ten-wicket haul in a match.
56 – New Zealand’s highest wicket-taker in 2019-21 WTC
Southee was New Zealand’s leading wicket-taker and the fourth-highest overall in the inaugural WTC in 2019-21. He picked 56 wickets in just 11 Tests at an average of 20.8 and strike rate of 46.2 with 5 four-fers and 3 fifers. The fast bowler played a pivotal role in New Zealand’s triumph.
164 – The highest number of wickets in T20I Cricket
Southee was not only a Test specialist but an all-format bowler. He was the leading wicket-taker in T20I cricket history with 164 dismissals in 123 innings at an average of 16.7 and economy of 8.
5-18 – The best bowling figures for a NZ bowler in T20I Cricket
Southee holds the record for the best bowling figures by a New Zealand bowler in T20I cricket. He bagged five wickets conceding just 18 runs in 4 overs against Pakistan in Auckland in 2010.
7-33 – The best bowling figures for a NZ bowler in ODI cricket
Southee also holds the record for the best bowling figures by a New Zealand bowler in ODI cricket. He ran through the England batting line-up in the 2015 World Cup encounter in Wellington routing the opponents for 123. Southee returned with magical figures of 7-33 in 9 overs.
77 – The sixth-highest number of wickets in World Cups
Southee has a total of 77 wickets combined in the ODI and T20 World Cups at an average of 22.79 and strike rate of 22.4. He is at number 6 on the all-time list after Mitchell Starc, Lasith Malinga, Shakib Al Hasan, Trent Boult and Muttiah Muralitharan.
Nikhil Narain is a die-hard cricket romantic, published author, and has worked for some of the leading digital websites and broadcasters in India and overseas. An alumnus of the London School of Economics, Nikhil's forte is using data and numbers creatively to weave interesting stories and revolutionize the way cricket statistics are generated and analyzed.
