"Seeing how calm he is in the middle keeps us all calm as well" - Tim Southee in awe of Kane Williamson
New Zealand Test captain Tim Southee was in awe of Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell following their classy hundreds to help them win the thrilling first Test in Christchurch against Sri Lanka. The right-arm seamer revealed that Williamson's calmness keeps the entire dressing room calm and composed.
Williamson strode out early on Day Four after Devon Conway departed cheaply and finished unbeaten on 121 as the first Test moved at a breakneck speed despite rain washing out two sessions. The right-handed batter struck 11 boundaries and a six, reaching his hundred in the 66th over off Asitha Fernando's bowling.
Test century No.27 for Kane Williamson!
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Speaking after the two-wicket win, Southee remarked that Williamson has always been a reliable player, evident by the 11th boundary of his innings.
As quoted by ESPN Cricinfo, the veteran seamer said:
"He's just a world-class player, and world-class players are able to perform in different conditions and different situations. Even when he was young, he was the guy you leaned on. We saw his class even with that last boundary, when he beat two fielders to the big side of the ground. Just the calmness with which he does it is good for the group. Seeing how calm he is in the middle keeps us all calm as well."
Southee didn't fail to acknowledge Mitchell's ton in the first innings as he believed it helped New Zealand get back into the game. He continued:
"Daryl's first innings was a was a massive turning point and it sort of got us back in. And any time the lower order is able to contribute is massive, and it sort of got us into the lead.
"We were able to eke out runs there, and then on day four, when we were able to bowl them out quickly and now give them a position when they were able to declare and dictate how many runs they wanted - there's a couple of moments there where you look back on as probably turning points in the game."
With only one of New Zealand's top four making a fifty-plus score in the first innings, the onus fell on Mitchell to take their side to Sri Lanka's 355. However, he found excellent lower-order support from Matt Henry, who made 75 off 72 balls.
"It's just about trying to keep calm" - Tim Southee
While Southee admitted that the Black Caps are a transitioning side, they have found match-winning contributions whenever required. He added:
"It's just about trying to keep calm. When you've got one of our best players out there, that helps as well. We've seen it in the last two Tests, and in Pakistan as well. It's a changing group, but the belief in the guys that that have come in… we've had a couple of bad days but being able to bounce back and know that someone's going to put their hand up - that's a sign of a good side."
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The second and final Test against Sri Lanka begins on March 17 in Wellington.