CRICKET - 'Humble' Southee top in NZ

Tim Southee must have spent all season pinching himself.
The dream-like nature of his breakthrough first-class season last year has been underlined by becoming the youngest-ever player to be named as one of the New Zealand Cricket Almanack's two players of the year.
The Waiotira teenager, with only a handful of first-class games to his name for Northern Districts, made his test debut last season at the tender age of 19 and has already forged a place in New Zealand cricket history.
One of the Almanack's two editors, Francis Payne, said Southee's exploits saw him chosen alongside Black Caps wicketkeeper-batsman Brendon McCullum as the other player of the year.
"McCullum was an obvious one but Southee - well, originally we thought he'd be one of our promising players - but when you look at what he did, every time he stepped up to a new level he looked as though he'd been there his whole life. He never seemed out of his depth," Payne said.
Southee followed up his first-class debut for Northern Districts with his first-ever international in the cyclone relief match against Bangladesh in Hamilton. From there he was named player of the tournament at the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia and no one will forget his test debut.
He took a five-wicket bag against England in Napier and topped that off with a blazing unbeaten 77 off 40 balls, the fastest half-century by a New Zealander. Despite a disrupted domestic campaign, Southee finished as the top-equal first-class wicket-taker along with Brent Arnel, with 33 each.
A virus kept him out of most of the corresponding tour to England but he returned for the one-day series and his performances with the ball saw him named as player of the series.
"If you look at what he did, there isn't anyone else that has gone past him. All in all it was a stunning season. It's going to be a hard act to follow," Payne said.
The 2008 Almanack's three promising players were Hamish Bennett (Canterbury), Daniel Flynn (Northern Districts) and Greg Hay (Central Districts). The cricketing "bible" has been published since 1948, with Bert Sutcliffe and TB Burte the first recipients of the player of the year award.
Perhaps fortunately, the Almanack's "season" ended after the tour to England, with Southee forced to sit on the sidelines for most of the Bangladesh tour and Iain O'Brien in good form.
After the tour, he returned home and was a welcome addition to the Maungakaramea club for a couple of games in the Northland Premier grade competition.
The accolades he has received in the past 12 months have not changed Southee, club stalwart Murray Child believes.
"He's a good, honest country boy who's always pleased to get back home and play for his club, and he doesn't make any big thing thing of where he's been playing. He's a humble young man."
"The fact that he didn't play much in Bangladesh meant he was pretty keen to get out for a game with his mates and relax and enjoy himself at the same time."
Child predicts he will be picked for the first test against the Australians at the Gabba in Brisbane but warns it won't be an easy time. "The Aussies will be on the rebound and keen to make amends for their average performance in India and they're a very different team in front of their home crowd."
Child said the club had produced several talented first-class players in recent years but Southee had the potential to outshine them all.
"Tim's taken his opportunity and done very well, and he's still got a long way to go," he said.
Southee has the inside running for a test match recall against Australia after being named in New Zealand's XI to face New South Wales. His inclusion for the warm-up match suggests all-rounder Grant Elliot will miss out on selection, and the Black Caps will go with the pace attack of Southee, Kyle Mills, Iain O'Brien and Chris Martin for the first test in Brisbane on November 20.