Tim Southee Levels Chris Gayle's All-Time Six Hitting Record During Farewell Test Against England

New Zealand cricket Tim Southee is competing in his swansong as the 36-year-old veteran faced off against England in his final red-ball match-up. At the Seddon Park in Hamilton, Southee received a guard of honour from England as soon as he came in to bat and he went on to make history in the test match. The veteran is only two sixes away from reaching the 100-digit milestone and has tied the record for most sixes smashed in the game's longest format.

Tim Southee Makes History After Equaling All-Time Six-Hitting Record In Tests

Tim Southee made history after he equalled West Indies great Chris Gayle's tally of sixes in Test cricket on Saturday, moving to joint-fourth place in the all-time list. The NZ veteran reached his 98th six against England. Southee hit three sixes in a quick 10-ball 23 that included one four, helping New Zealand reach 315 for nine at stumps on the first day of the third and final Test.

Southee, who was playing his 107th and final Test for New Zealand, achieved the milestone in the match against England at Seddon Park. With 133 sixes in 110 Test matches thus far, England captain Ben Stokes tops the all-time list. Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum comes in second with 107 sixes in 101 games. Adam Gilchrist, a former vice-captain of Australia who has hit 100 sixes in 96 Test matches, is ranked third.

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New Zealand Showcase Resilience Against England's Strong Bowling In Day 1 Of Hamilton Test 

New Zealand delivered a sound performance against England as they faced off in a red-ball match-up at Seddon Park. The opening duo of Tom Latham and Will Young effectively contributed to the side by stitching a firm partnership. Latham scored 63, while Young put up 42 runs on the scoreboard. But after the opening partnership broke, the Englishmen found the chance to put pressure on the opposition. The Kiwis were at 142/2 but soon fell to 231/7 after losing out on momentum. Southee, the 36-year-old, played his part with the bat after scoring 23 runs off ten balls before being dismissed. At the end of the day, William O'Rourke was undefeated, and Mitchell Santner gave an invaluable 50* to take the score at 315/9 at stumps. Both Santner and O'Rourke will return to bat on day two of the Hamilton Test. The play will begin at 03:30 AM IST.

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[With PTI Inputs]