SPORTS

Borrowed bat did the trick for Tim Southee

March 26, 2008 16:36 IST

With the deciding third Test against England all but lost, New Zealand pace bowler Tim Southee provided the crowd with a little excitement before the visitors wrapped up a 121-run victory on Wednesday.

Also read: England win 

The 19-year-old debutant smashed 77 not out off just 40 balls, including nine sixes.

Southee's first Test half century came off just 29 balls, a record for a New Zealander, and it was all done with a bat borrowed from team mate Stephen Fleming.

"Flem looked at my bats and asked what sort of sticks did GM (Gunn and Moore) give you?," Southee told reporters. "He looked at them and said 'try this one out' (and) gave me one of his.

"I went out there today with it. There's nothing wrong with mine. His were just another step up."

Southee was particularly brutal on left-arm spinner Monty Panesar, who had gone to lunch with figures of six for 85.

His three overs after the interval cost 41 runs, including 24 off one.

"He's bowled well throughout the series but I thought I'd have a swing and it came off," Southee added.

Southee, who took five wickets in England's first innings, evoked memories of compatriot Nathan Astle, who smashed 11 sixes in an innings of 222 when New Zealand unsuccessfully chased 550 for victory against England in Christchurch in 2002.

He said, however, that he was just following the advice of his captain Daniel Vettori.

"He said to me to try and hang around as long as we can and any runs we get are a bonus," Southee said. "That's all we had in mind.

"I got a couple out of the middle and just carried on from there after the break.

"I might have got them to sweat at bit but it was a massive target to chase."

Source: REUTERS
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