NZ vs ENG: Tim Southee Becomes New Zealand’s Leading Wicket-Taker

New Zealand Test captain Tim Southee achieved an unprecedented milestone on Friday, February 24 on day one of the second Test against England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.

Tim Southee etched his name in the annals of New Zealand cricket history by becoming the first player from the country to reach 700 international wickets after he dismissed Ben Duckett for a low score of 9 runs.

He has also joined an elite list of just 15 players, and only 10 pace bowlers, to have achieved the milestone of 700 international wickets.

Tim Southee has now gone past South African legend Dale Steyn in the list of highest wicket-takers among pace bowlers in international cricket, having claimed 700 wickets.

However, he still has some distance to cover to catch up with English star pacer James Anderson, who has a mammoth tally of 969 international wickets.

Not only is Tim Southee New Zealand’s leading wicket-taker, he is also the highest wicket-taker in T20I cricket with 99 wickets, putting him ahead of Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan (128).

How did Day 1 pan out?

In the first session of the first day of play, captain Southee and Matt Henry wreaked havoc with the new ball, reducing England to just 21/3. The pair took one and two wickets each, respectively

After a shaky start, Joe Root and Harry Brook turned the game around with magnificent centuries. Brook remained unbeaten at 184, while the former captain also finished not out at 101.

Together, they added a remarkable 294 runs, putting New Zealand on the defensive. England closed the day at 315/3.