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Tim Southee retires from Tests: 3 records of the Kiwi pacer that may never be broken

New Zealand cricketer Tim Southee played the final Test match of his career and received an emphatic farewell as the Kiwis registered a humungous 423-run victory against England. The two teams played the last Test of the three-match series in Hamilton.

Southee, one of New Zealand’s core players, said that he’ll now watch and follow the game as a fan after bidding goodbye to the longest format of the game. The tall pacer ended his Test career with 391 wickets in his bag, the second-highest for New Zealand after Richard Hadlee, who scalped 431.

The 36-year-old, who celebrated his birthday just last week, bid adieu to red-ball cricket with several records to his name. Although his list of achievements is long, there are a few records he set that might not be possible for any other cricketer to break.

On that note, let’s look at three of the Kiwi pacer's records that may never be broken:

#3 Most Tests by a Kiwi fast bowler

Tim Southee finished his career with 107 Test matches to his name, the most by any New Zealand fast bowler. Hadlee follows him in the ranks, having played 86 Tests before retiring from the sport.

The Kiwi pacer will surely go down as one of the finest to have represented New Zealand internationally.

In 203 innings of the 107 Tests, Southee bowled 23,490 balls and conceded 11,832 runs, recording an average of 30.26 and an economy of 3.02. He flaunted his wicket-taking abilities brilliantly over the years as his 391 wickets constitute 19 four-wicket hauls, 15 five-wicket hauls and one 10-wicket haul.

#2 Most Test wickets in New Zealand

Tim Southee is the New Zealand bowler with the most wickets on home soil, tallying 234. No other bowler has picked up more wickets than him in New Zealand, a feat no one else is even close to in the current Test setup.

Only one other Kiwi bowler has over 200 Test wickets. Richard Hadlee finished with 201 wickets to his name on New Zealand soil.

Southee picked 234 wickets in 59 matches at home at an average of 28.79. Notably, nine out of his 15 five-wicket hauls came on home soil.

#1 Most Test sixes by a specialist fast-bowler

One notable and astounding record that Tim Southee holds to his name is that of most sixes hit by a Kiwi fast-bowler. The stylish pacer has accumulated 98 sixes in his Test career and has been a potent batting hand down the order.

While Southee is the fast bowler with the most sixes in Tests, he is also the fourth-highest six-hitter in Test cricket overall, tied with Chris Gayle.

Notably, the three cricketers to have hit more sixes than Southee and Gayle, are Ben Stokes, Brendon McCullum and Adam Gilchrist, who have accumulated 133, 107, and 100 sixes, respectively.

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