Tim Southee’s 7-33 at Westpac Stadium was the best ever by a New Zealander in ODI cricket. Not that the man of the moment knew it.
“Yeah, someone had mentioned it at the time. But you sort of try and take it and give it to the way we bowl as a group over a period of time now. And like I said, I'm sure there will be another time where we're both just as well or something else will bowl better. It's fun game of cricket, and I think it was testament to the way we had bowled as a group for a number of games, said Southee.
Just two of the stats are:
- The best ever figures by a New Zealander in ODIs
- The first time a New Zealander had taken seven wickets in ODIs (Six wickets in an innings has ben taken three times previously, with bowling coach Shane Bond taking two of those
Southee’s first two overs went wicketless as Ian Bell and Moeen Ali looked at home on a pitch that promised runs, but produced a peach of a delivery in his third, that straightened on Bell before crashing into his stumps. He was underway.
“We went out there with the toss and wanted to be aggressive, and we let it sit. And it gave us a couple of wickets and we just kept the pressure on and kept chipping away.
“It all happened pretty quickly, so we didn't really have time to think about it. Just worry about the next ball, and it's such a cool crowd and having them behind you always helps,” said Southee.
Southee was devastating in his second spell, getting further movement in the air that the English batsmen failed to cope with. They lost their last six wickets for just 19 runs to wreck their chances in the match, and any hope of the stadium lights going on that night.
Southee leap frogged Shane Bond, the BLACKCAPS bowling coach, to take the best ODI bowling figures, and was quick to pay tribute.
“I think he (Shane Bond) takes a lot of pride out of seeing the bowlers do well. He's been instrumental in, I guess, the way the bowlers have performed for a couple years now. He's done a great job,” said Southee.
Modest to a fault, and always quick to talk up his team mates performances rather than his own, even the man of the match had to concede his performance was something special.
“Yeah, I think it will be something we'll look back on in time and think of how amazing this occasion was. It was an amazing feeling to stand out there, and having anything run behind you, and I think that's testament to the brand of cricket we've been playing lately, and I guess it's in watching an exciting brand of cricket,” he said.
