Tim Southee bids farewell in style as New Zealand thrash England by 423 runs in Hamilton Test
New Zealand registered their biggest-ever Test win in terms of runs, defeating England by a massive 423 runs on the fourth day of the Hamilton Test. The comprehensive victory provided a fitting farewell to veteran Tim Southee, who led his team off the field with a stump in hand as a memento.
With Ben Stokes opting not to bat due to injury, England started the day with just nine wickets in hand and a daunting target of 659 runs. Openers were already dismissed on the previous evening, leaving Jacob Bethell and Joe Root to rebuild.
The duo counterattacked in the morning session, forging a 104-run stand off just 125 balls, as both batters notched up fighting fifties. Root had a close escape when dropped by Tom Latham off Southee but couldn’t capitalize for long. He fell LBW to Mitchell Santner while attempting a sweep, triggering a collapse.
Harry Brook soon followed, caught in the slips off Will O’Rourke, while Bethell, despite reaching 76, succumbed to a loose shot off Southee, caught at deep point. England slid to 166/5, and the collapse accelerated.
Gus Atkinson and Ollie Pope tried to keep the scoreboard ticking, but Pope was bowled attempting a reverse-lap against Matt Henry. Atkinson struck a few big blows before Mitchell Santner dismissed him with a well-placed trap. Santner also removed Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse to complete a dominant performance.
Santner ended with 4/85 in the innings and an impressive match haul of 7 wickets, earning him the Player of the Match award.
The win marked a dominant end to the series for New Zealand after falling behind 1-2. Kane Williamson’s 156 in the second innings and Santner’s all-round efforts were the highlights of the match, while Tim Southee’s final Test will be remembered as a celebration of his contributions to New Zealand cricket.
Brief Scores:
New Zealand: 347 (Mitchell Santner 76, Tom Latham 63; Matthew Potts 4-90) and 453 (Kane Williamson 156, Will Young 60; Jacob Bethell 3-72)
England: 143 (Joe Root 32; Matt Henry 4-48, Mitchell Santner 3-7) & 234 (Jacob Bethell 76, Joe Root 54; Mitchell Santner 4-85)
Result: New Zealand won by 423 runs