Tim Southee: Leading Wicket Taker In New Zealand Cricket History

Great cricketers are known for making and breaking records. That’s what sets them apart from other performers. These players essentially rule the hearts of cricket lovers all over the world. Tim Southee is one such bowler that carries the traits of a great cricketer. This 34-year-old New Zealander has won the attention of fans and experts throughout his career. 

Recently, he added a unique record to his name. Let’s find out what the record was!

Tim Southee News: A Brief Background

He is a right-arm fast bowler who represents New Zealand in all three formats of the game. Southee is popularly known for his outswing bowling. Although the bowler has learned and used a wide variety of bowling in his career, his outswing has caused immense damage to any side on any pitch. If the pitch is bowler-friendly, he gets deadly and breaks the backbone of the batting of the opponents.

This right-arm pacer has played 94 tests and amassed 370 wickets. Similarly, he played 154 one-day international matches wherein he took 210 wickets. His T20 performances are equally impressive. The truth is Tim Southee has done well throughout his career in all three formats. In the process, he grabbed some unusual victories for the Kiwis. He has also turned lost matches into winning ones with his deadly outswing bowling. For these reasons, he has been a valuable player for his side.

What is Tim Southee’s Recent Record?

Southee became the highest wicket-taker for the New Zealand team. The March 9, 2023 headlines stormed the Kiwi team as the pacer broke the previous record of highest wickets in international cricket by a New Zealander. A group of cricket fans were surprised to know this fact as Tim Southee has always been considered an underdog in cricket.

His performance has always been better. However, people never thought of him as a record breaker. He is termed a modest bowler who gets aggressive on the field and picks wickets for his team. So, the news came as a surprise for a section of cricket fans. On the flip side, most fans were happy to know and weren’t surprised by the headline. They knew that Tim Southee would break the record at some point in time, and the day came on March 9, 2023.

The test captain created history when he became the leading wicket-taker in international cricket for New Zealand. The pacer broke the record of former star spinner and Captain Daniel Vettori to book the number 1 position. Tim Southee made this record when he took 5 wickets against Sri Lanka in the first innings of the first test in Christchurch.

Southee now carries 708 wickets to his name from 354 matches. He moved ahead of Vettori’s record of 705 wickets from 402 matches to become the all-time highest wicket-taker for the Kiwi team. Former cricketers as well as teammates applauded the bowler for his feat. It was a big celebration for Southee as well as the New Zealand team.

Tim Southee made his debut on 5th February 2008 when he was inducted into the playing XI for a T20 match against the English team held in Auckland. The bowler made his ODI and test debut in the same year. The right-arm pacer has appeared in 93 tests, 154 ODI, and 107 T20 matches in which he took 364, 210, and 134 wickets in total on the date of breaking the record. The stats improved further with time.

Tim Southee records keep updating with time. He recently became the leading wicket-taker for the Kiwi team. Let’s see what new records Tim Southee breaks in the coming years.

FAQs
What is Southee’s favourite ball?
The pacer likes Yorker more than any other deliveries.
What is the name of Southee’s father?
His father’s name is Murray Southee
Is Tim Southee married?
Yes, the bowler is married to Brya Fahy.