NZ bid farewell to Southee with big consolation win

New Zealand beat England by 423 runs yesterday to send Tim Southee out a winner on his home ground in his final Test and claim a consolation victory as one-sided as their losses in the first two matches of the series.
The Black Caps had come into the series with confidence high after their remarkable 3-0 sweep in India only to be completely outplayed in more familiar conditions in Christchurch and Wellington.
At Hamilton’s Seddon Park, they rediscovered their mojo to claim their biggest ever win by runs and inflict the fourth-worst defeat by the same measure on the tourists inside four days.
Recalled spinner Mitchell Santner (4-85) was named Player of the Match after ripping through the England tail for a match tally of seven wickets to go with his 76 and 49 with the bat, but it was a proper team victory.
Kane Williamson could have claimed the honour for a second-innings 156 that took England’s victory target well into world record areas, or Will O’Rourke for a dizzying spell of bowling on day one.
“It’s obviously pleasing to finish in that fashion,” said New Zealand captain Tom Latham.
“We certainly knew we weren’t quite at our best those first couple of games, but I think the way we came in here and were able to adapt to the surface was very pleasing.”
England, so dominant in the first two Tests, crumbled to 234 all out after lunch on day four in their improbable chase for 658 runs to sweep the series.
Captain Ben Stokes, who is being treated for a left hamstring injury sustained on Monday, did not bat in England’s second innings to further hasten the conclusion.
The end came swiftly with England, who looked determined to go down fighting before the break, losing their last three wickets in 12 deliveries for the addition of three runs.
Southee failed to add to his extraordinary tally of 98 Test sixes on Monday but he did take two wickets in his final innings to finish his career with 391, the second highest for a New Zealander behind Richard Hadlee. “We’re certainly leaving one of the greats behind, but I’m sure he’s got a bright future ahead of him, whatever that may be,” added Latham, who was front and centre as Southee was honoured by Hadlee after the match.
IMPRESSIVE BETHELL
Although the tourists were disappointed to finish with such a crushing defeat, even yesterday there were some positives to go along with becoming the first England team to win a series in New Zealand since 2008.
Jacob Bethell continued his impressive start to Test cricket with a third half-century of the series before he holed out for 76 to become Southee’s final Test victim.
Joe Root reached his 65th Test half-century before being dismissed for 54 by Santner but Harry Brook was unable to find the runs that were so instrumental to England’s wins in the first two Test matches.
Named Player of the Series for his two centuries and 350 runs, Brook faced six deliveries for one run before O’Rourke had him caught in the slips with the sort of steepling delivery that is fast becoming his trademark.
O’Rourke also dismissed Brook for a golden duck in the first innings during a spell that will have reassured local fans that the future of New Zealand seam bowling is secure despite the retirements of Southee and Trent Boult.
Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson and Matthew Potts did the same over the series for England fans still mourning the departure of James Anderson and Stuart Broad.
Atkinson blasted 43 off 41 balls with seven fours and one six in a defiant rearguard yesterday but once he departed with a miscued slog to deep cover, the end was not long in coming.
“We want to come out and win every game that we play,” said Stokes.
“It’s obviously disappointing as a team to finish like we have done but ... the first two Test matches is where it really counted for us, and that’s where we played our best cricket.”
BRIEF SCORES (Third Test, Day 4)New Zealand 347 (Santner 76, Latham 63, Potts 4-90) and 453 (Williamson 156, Young 60, Mitchell 60) beat England 143 (Henry 4-48, Santner 3-7, O’Rourke 3-33) and 234 (Bethell 76, Root 54, Santner 4-85) by 423 runs