The Black Caps claim their win over England by a record 424 run margin. Video / Sky Sport
In March 2008, Sir Richard Hadlee selected a teenage seamer to make his New Zealand debut, and Tim Southee required only two overs to remove England captain Michael Vaughan.
The right-armer from a farm in Northland added the opening-day wickets of Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen, while the Herald reported on his evident talent but noted it too early to “lumber him with ridiculous tags like the next Hadlee”.
Almost 17 years later, after 107 tests and 391 wickets, Southee watched near the Seddon Park boundary as Hadlee saluted the bowler who rose to second on this country’s test wicket-taking charts, a once-fresh face hidden under his fading black cap.
“It was special,” the retiring Southee said after the record win over England. “Our greatest ever Black Cap and he was there from the start. He was the selector who selected me at 19, so to hear him say those kind words was very pleasing.
“It’s been half my life playing for this team, and ever since I can remember it’s been a dream of mine to do that. I’ll miss so many things that come with the enjoyment you get of doing what we’ve been able to do.
“It’s exciting, sad, it’s a range of emotions that you go through, but life moves on and I’ve been very fortunate to have done what I’ve done.”
The fortune has been shared. Tom Latham, who succeeded Southee as test skipper, can barely remember a Black Caps team without his long-time teammate, and barely contemplate life in the slip cordon without the chat of the fielder standing over his shoulder.
“That will be missed, that’s for sure,” Latham said. “There’s not many fast bowlers that are able to be in the slips – whether it’s because he doesn’t want to run from fine leg to fine leg …
“He’s just a great character to have in the changing room. You can take that whatever way you think. Guys get along with him so well.
“I’ve had the privilege of playing pretty much all my test matches with Timmy, so to see how he goes about things day in, day out, the longevity that he’s had as a seam bowler, to play the amount of test matches that he’s had, to be pretty close to 400 wickets, it’s no mean feat.
“We’ll certainly miss him and the dressing room will miss him. But he’s going to leave a long legacy.”
That legacy will live on, Southee hopes, in the players who will replace his wicket-taking threat. With Will O’Rourke, Ben Sears and Nathan Smith having been introduced in the past year, the Black Caps turned the page on an era paced by Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner.
The final member of the old guard was eager to watch a bright new crop in limited-overs series against Sri Lanka this summer – and particularly looking forward to a sunny Christmas break at home – while also reflecting on the golden era he helped spark.
“They’ll be memories that we’ll share forever,” he said. “To play alongside those two and form a pretty good friendship that will go long beyond the game is the most satisfying part of all that. We’ll reflect over years to come and look back on what was an incredible journey.
Tim Southee waves goodbye to international cricket at Seddon Park. Photo / Photosport
“It’s time now for these young guys. We’ve seen a number come through in the last couple of years, and I’m excited to sit back and watch them continue to take this team forward and enjoy what they’ve got to offer. I’ve lived it for so long, and I’m excited to see them do the same.”
Kane Williamson made his international debut 18 months after Southee and preceded him as test captain, having taken the reins from Brendon McCullum. All three were in close proximity at Seddon Park, with the England coach joining in a chorus of support as Southee made one last stroll to the crease, searching in vain for the two sixes he needed to match McCullum with 100.
“There’s a few relationships there, naturally, and I know six-hitting in test cricket was pretty close to Brendon’s heart,” Williamson said. “It wasn’t to be for Tim, but that’s fine. He’s hit a few in his time.”
Southee was instead left to settle for a record-equalling 423-run win – along with a level of ceremony that made the test match feel at times like a testimonial.
“The ground announcers have kept us well aware,” Williamson said with a smile when asked about the occasion. “It’s special, really, going out there and him leading us on to the park.
“He’s an outstanding servant of the game and just a huge player for us over the years. Not just on the field – those achievements are there for everybody to see – but his leadership and how he carried himself throughout his test career.
“He’s been a big part of why this team have been in a pretty strong place for a period of time.”
That wasn’t the case in 2008, when Southee nabbed the first of his 15 five-wicket bags on debut. Nor was it true for many initial years of a career in which he collected 776 scalps across formats.
But with a World Test Championship crown and his lofty spot on the wicket-taking charts secure, Southee’s place in history has been cemented.
The next Hadlee? Perhaps not quite. But the Black Caps will be desperate for the next Southee.
The Alternative Commentary Collective is covering every home Black Caps test this summer. Listen to live commentary here.
Kris Shannon has been a sports journalist since 2011 and covers a variety of codes for the Herald. Reporting on Grant Elliott’s six at Eden Park in 2015 was a career highlight.
