Tim Southee Honored with Guard of Honour in Emotional Farewell Test as England, Led by Ben Stokes, Wins Hearts with Brilliant Gesture

Southee, accompanied by his daughter and New Zealand teammates as the match was set to begin, was clearly affected as he stepped onto the field with his bat in hand. This poignant moment signified the conclusion of an era in New Zealand cricket.

Southee made the most of his outing in the first innings; staying true to his aggressive style, Southee didn’t disappoint, scoring a blistering 23 off just 10 deliveries. His knock was punctuated by a boundary and three towering sixes, taking his career tally to 98 sixes in Test cricket, matching Chris Gayle's record.

Only three players have struck more sixes in the format, including Adam Gilchrist (100), Brendon McCullum (107), and Ben Stokes (133).

Southee's quickfire innings formed part of a late rally from New Zealand, who finished Day 1 at 315 /9. Mitchell Santner, unbeaten on 50, along with the tailenders, added 76 crucial runs in the final eight overs, rescuing the team from a precarious position after a middle-order collapse.

Earlier, New Zealand had made a solid start, with openers Tom Latham (65) and Will Young (47) putting on a 105-run partnership, New Zealand’s best opening stand in 28 Tests. Young, returning to the side in place of Devon Conway, also crossed the 1000-career Test runs milestone, marking a personal achievement in an otherwise challenging day for the hosts.

However, New Zealand’s momentum was stalled as England's bowlers, led by Brydon Carse and Ben Stokes, made crucial breakthroughs. Key middle-order wickets, including Kane Williamson (44) and Tom Blundell (21), fell to lapses in concentration.

The highlight of the day came when Harry Brook produced a stunning catch at the boundary to dismiss Matt Henry (8), further adding to New Zealand’s woes.