"Most guys have played a lot of cricket round the world on big grounds so they've got enough experience. Grounds in New Zealand are reasonably small but Hagley Park is quite big."
Southee relished the boost to cricket's popularity that has enabled ground size to seize headlines as New Zealand prepare for their inaugural final.
'It's important to us to have cricket compared to rugby and the following [that's built] over the past few months has been amazing.
"We're sometimes seen as the little brothers from across the ditch. They've had the wood on us for the last few years but we're slowly starting to even the ledger.
"As a kid it was always New Zealand v Australia in the backyard."
That regular staple, the 1981 underarm incident, also got an airing in the questions, but Southee dismissed it as a motivational factor.
"A few of us were a bit young to see it, but know it happened. We haven't heard too much about it this week."
