Tim Southee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tim Southee

Southee in 2009
Personal information
Full name	Timothy Grant Southee
Born	(1988-12-11) 11 December 1988 (age 36) Whangārei, New Zealand
Height	193 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm medium-fast
Role	Bowler
International information
National side	New Zealand (2008–2024)
Test debut (cap 237)	22 March 2008 v England
Last Test	14 December 2024 v England
ODI debut (cap 149)	15 June 2008 v England
Last ODI	15 November 2023 v India
ODI shirt no.	38
T20I debut (cap 30)	5 February 2008 v England
Last T20I	17 June 2024 v Papua New Guinea
T20I shirt no.	38
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2006/07–present	Northern Districts
2011	Chennai Super Kings
2011	Essex
2014–2015	Rajasthan Royals
2016–2017	Mumbai Indians
2017	Middlesex
2018–2019	Royal Challengers Bangalore
2021–2023	Kolkata Knight Riders
2023	London Spirit
2024	Birmingham Phoenix
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI T20I FC Matches 107 161 126 150 Runs scored 2,245 740 303 3,079 Batting average 15.48 12.13 11.22 16.03 100s/50s 0/6 0/1 0/0 1/9 Top score 77* 55 39 156 Balls bowled 23,490 8,075 2,753 31,110 Wickets 391 221 164 558 Bowling average 30.26 33.70 22.38 27.83 5 wickets in innings 15 3 2 26 10 wickets in match 1 0 0 1 Best bowling 7/64 7/33 5/18 8/27 Catches/stumpings 86/– 44/– 65/– 100/–
Medal record Men's Cricket Representing  New Zealand ICC Cricket World Cup Runner-up 2015 Australia and New Zealand Runner-up 2019 England and Wales ICC World Test Championship Winner 2019-2021 ICC T20 World Cup Runner-up 2021 UAE and Oman
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 19 November 2024

Timothy Grant Southee (born 11 December 1988) is a former New Zealand international cricketer. He has led the New Zealand cricket team in all types of games. He is known for his fast bowling and strong hitting as a batsman.

Tim Southee was one of New Zealand's youngest cricketers. He started playing for the national team at age 19 in February 2008. In his first Test match against England, he took 5 wickets and scored 77 runs very quickly. He is the third New Zealand bowler to take 300 Test wickets.

Southee played for Northern Districts in New Zealand's main cricket competitions. He was also part of the New Zealand team that won the 2019–2021 World Test Championship. He helped New Zealand reach the finals of the 2015 and 2019 Cricket World Cups.

He is famous for making the ball swing away from the batsman at high speed. He also uses slower balls that spin like an off-spinner. At the 2011 ICC World Cup, he was the third-best wicket-taker. In the 2015 ICC World Cup, he took 7 wickets against England. This amazing performance was called Wisden's ODI spell of the decade. Southee stopped playing Test cricket in 2024. He finished with 391 wickets, which is the third-highest for New Zealand.

Early Life and Cricket Start

Tim Southee was born in Whangārei, New Zealand. He grew up in the Northland region. He went to Whangārei Boys' High School and King's College, Auckland. During school, he was very good at both cricket and rugby. He played rugby for Auckland and Northern Region teams.

Southee is married to Brya Fahy. They have two daughters together.

Playing for New Zealand's Youth Teams

Southee played for New Zealand's Under-19 cricket team from 2006 to 2009. He played in 13 one-day matches, including 10 at the ICC Under-19 World Cups. He also played in a Youth Test series against India in 2007.

He was only 17 when he played in the 2006 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Sri Lanka. He took 5 wickets and scored 113 runs in that tournament. In 2007, he took 12 wickets in one Youth Test match against India.

At his second 2008 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Malaysia, he was named the best player of the tournament. He took 5 wickets for only 11 runs in New Zealand's first match. He finished with 17 wickets in five matches. Many future international players were in his youth teams, like Kane Williamson and Trent Boult.

Tim Southee's International Cricket Career

Southee started his international career as one of New Zealand's youngest players. He became a regular player in all three types of international cricket: Twenty20, One-Day Internationals, and Test matches.

First Twenty20 Matches

New Zealand's coaches noticed Southee when he was still playing youth cricket. In 2007, a coach said that Dennis Lillee, a famous bowler, compared Southee's talent to Glenn McGrath when he was young.

Southee was chosen for the New Zealand team to play two Twenty20 International games against England in January 2008. His international debut was on 5 February 2008 in Auckland. He took 1 wicket for 38 runs. In the second match, he was New Zealand's best bowler, taking 2 wickets for 22 runs.

After these games, Southee rejoined the Under-19 team for the World Cup.

Southee bowling

Test Match Debut

When Southee returned from the 2008 Under-19 World Cup, England was still touring New Zealand. An injury to another player meant Southee was added to the team. He made his Test match debut on 22 March 2008. He was only 19 years and 102 days old, making him one of New Zealand's youngest Test players.

He made a big impact on the first day. He took 5 wickets for 55 runs. Later, when New Zealand was batting, Southee scored New Zealand's fastest half-century in just 29 balls. He ended up scoring 77 runs from only 40 balls, including nine sixes.

Early International Tours

After his debut, Southee was given a contract by New Zealand Cricket. This meant he was seen as a very promising player. He went on his first full international tour to England, Ireland, and Scotland. He played one Test match and seven One-Day Internationals (ODIs). In the ODIs, he took 16 wickets.

In October 2008, New Zealand visited Bangladesh. Southee played in the ODIs there. He continued to compete for a spot in the team with other experienced bowlers.

Becoming a Regular Player

From 2009 to 2010, Southee became a regular player for New Zealand. He played in 18 of the 22 international matches that summer. He took 8 wickets for 27 runs in a domestic match, which was one of the best bowling performances in his team's history.

In December 2010, Southee made history in a Twenty20 international against Pakistan. He took a hat-trick, which means taking three wickets in three balls. This was only the third hat-trick in international Twenty20 cricket. He finished with 5 wickets for 18 runs, his best figures at the time. He also took his first 5-wicket haul in an ODI in the same series.

World Cup Success

Southee was a key player in the 2011 Cricket World Cup. He was the third-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, with 18 wickets. He was named the 12th man in the "team of the tournament" by the ICC. His best performance was taking 3 wickets for 25 runs against Pakistan.

His success was partly due to the bowling coach, Allan Donald. Donald believed Southee could become the best swing bowler in the world.

Playing in T20 Leagues

After the 2011 World Cup, Southee joined the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. He helped them win a close game by bowling well in the final over. He also played for Essex in England, where he took 6 wickets for 16 runs, including another hat-trick.

In August 2021, Southee joined the Kolkata Knight Riders for the second part of the 2021 Indian Premier League.

Key Performances and Milestones

In 2012, Southee played a big part in New Zealand's Test series against Sri Lanka. He took 12 wickets and was praised as a future leader for New Zealand's bowling attack.

In May 2013, Southee had an amazing performance against England at Lord's. He took 10 wickets in the match, becoming the first New Zealander in a long time to do so.

Cricket World Cup Highlights

Southee continued to be one of the best new-ball bowlers. In 2014, he helped New Zealand win a Test series against India and then against the West Indies. He rose to number 6 in the world bowling rankings.

At the 2015 Cricket World Cup, he had his best bowling figures ever in an ODI. He took 7 wickets for only 33 runs against England. New Zealand won that match easily, and Southee was named Man of the Match.

In November 2022, Southee took his second hat-trick in T20 Internationals. This put him in a special group of bowlers who have taken more than one T20I hat-trick.

In February 2023, Tim Southee became the first New Zealand player to reach 700 international wickets across all formats. He achieved this milestone during a Test match against England.

Southee announced his retirement from Test cricket in November 2024. He finished with 391 Test wickets, the second-highest for New Zealand, behind only Sir Richard Hadlee.

Captaincy Role

Southee has often stepped in as captain for New Zealand. He led the T20I team for the first time in December 2017 against the West Indies, and New Zealand won. He also captained the team against Pakistan and England when the regular captain, Kane Williamson, was injured or rested.

In April 2019, he was named the vice-captain for New Zealand's squad at the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

In December 2022, Southee became the full-time Test captain for the Blackcaps after Kane Williamson stepped down. In his first series as captain, New Zealand drew with Pakistan. In February 2023, under his captaincy, New Zealand won a Test match against England by just one run after being forced to follow-on. This was a rare and historic win.

Southee stepped down as New Zealand Test captain in October 2024.

Playing Style and Skills

Southee is a right-arm medium-fast bowler who makes the ball swing away from the batsman. While he might not be as fast as some other bowlers, his accuracy and clever changes in speed make him a very effective bowler. He often bowls with Trent Boult, forming a strong opening bowling team.

He is also known for his aggressive batting, especially in the lower batting order. He has scored 7 half-centuries in Test matches, including his highest score of 77 runs from just 40 balls on his debut. He has hit 98 sixes in Test cricket, which is one of the highest numbers ever.

International Five-Wicket Hauls

A "five-wicket haul" is when a bowler takes five or more wickets in one innings of a match. Southee has achieved this 20 times in international cricket.

He took his first five-wicket haul on his Test debut in 2008. His best Test figures are 7 wickets for 64 runs against India in 2012.

His best ODI figures are 7 wickets for 33 runs, which he took against England during the 2015 Cricket World Cup. His best T20I figures are 5 wickets for 18 runs against Pakistan in 2010.

Five-wicket hauls in Test matches

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Inn	Overs	Runs	Wkts	Result
1	22 March 2008	McLean Park, Napier	England	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&023.10000023.1	&&&&&&&&&&&&&055.&&&&&055	5	Lost
2	31 August 2012	M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru	India	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&024.&&&&&024	&&&&&&&&&&&&&064.&&&&&064	7	Lost
3	25 November 2012	Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu Stadium, Colombo	Sri Lanka	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&022.&&&&&022	&&&&&&&&&&&&&062.&&&&&062	5	Won
4	16 May 2013	Lord's, London	England	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&019.&&&&&019	&&&&&&&&&&&&&050.&&&&&050	6	Lost
5	25 November 2016	Seddon Park, Hamilton	Pakistan	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&021.&&&&&021	&&&&&&&&&&&&&080.&&&&&080	6	Won
6	20 January 2017	Hagley Oval, Christchurch	Bangladesh	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&028.30000028.3	&&&&&&&&&&&&&094.&&&&&094	5	Won
7	30 March 2018	Hagley Oval, Christchurch	England	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&026.&&&&&026	&&&&&&&&&&&&&062.&&&&&062	6	Drawn
8	15 December 2018	Basin Reserve, Wellington	Sri Lanka	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&027.&&&&&027	&&&&&&&&&&&&&068.&&&&&068	6	Drawn
9	12 December 2019	Perth Stadium, Perth	Australia	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&021.10000021.1	&&&&&&&&&&&&&069.&&&&&069	5	Lost
10	21 February 2020	Basin Reserve, Wellington	India	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&021.&&&&&021	&&&&&&&&&&&&&061.&&&&&061	5	Won
11	11 December 2020	Basin Reserve, Wellington	West Indies	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&017.40000017.4	&&&&&&&&&&&&&032.&&&&&032	5	Won
12	2 June 2021	Lord's, London	England	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&025.10000025.1	&&&&&&&&&&&&&043.&&&&&043	6	Drawn
13	25 November 2021	Green Park Stadium, Kanpur	India	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&027.40000027.4	&&&&&&&&&&&&&069.&&&&&069	5	Drawn
14	17 February 2022	Hagley Oval, Christchurch	South Africa	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&017.40000017.4	&&&&&&&&&&&&&035.&&&&&035	5	Won
15	9 March 2023	Hagley Oval, Christchurch	Sri Lanka	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&026.40000026.4	&&&&&&&&&&&&&064.&&&&&064	5	Won

Five-wicket hauls in One-Day Internationals

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Inn	Overs	Runs	Wkts	Result
1	22 January 2011	Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington	Pakistan	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.3000009.3	&&&&&&&&&&&&&033.&&&&&033	5	Won
2	20 February 2015	Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington	England	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09	&&&&&&&&&&&&&033.&&&&&033	7	Won
3	20 February 2019	University Oval, Dunedin	Bangladesh	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.2000009.2	&&&&&&&&&&&&&065.&&&&&065	6	Won

Five-wicket hauls in T20Is

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Inn	Overs	Runs	Wkts	Result
1	26 December 2010	Eden Park, Auckland	Pakistan	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018	5	Won
2	17 August 2023	Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai	United Arab Emirates	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&025.&&&&&025	5	Won