England‘s 2024 cricket year came to a bitter end New Zealand He beat them by 423 runs in the third and final Test at Hamilton. Despite already winning the series 2-1, England’s defeat was a humiliating result, with New Zealand producing a dominant performance to claim a consolation win. The victory also served as a fitting farewell legendary sailor Tim SoutheeHe retired after an illustrious 16-year career that included 107 Tests and 391 wickets.
Set an impossible target of 658, England’s batting line-up crumbled under the relentless pressure of New Zealand’s bowling attack. The margin of defeat was historic – England’s biggest loss against New Zealand in terms of runs and the fourth biggest by any opponent. The defeat highlighted England’s struggles as they failed to fight back and a total of 234 people were fired mid afternoon on the fourth day.
Jacob Bethell and Joe Root shine amid the chaos of the batting
Continuing on 18/2, England’s hopes lay with the youngsters Jacob Bethell and veteran Joe Rootgiving a brief glimmer of hope. A rising talent, Bethell showed great promise with a fluent 76 that oozed confidence and elegance. The left-hander played late and showed excellent stroke selection, drive and pull with precision, including a six off Tim Southee.
In partnership with Root, Bethell stabilized England’s batting briefly, adding a vital 104 runs for the fourth wicket. Root, ever reliable, reached 54 before judgment saw him miss a sweep against Mitchell Santner, falling lbw on review. Root’s dismissal opened the floodgates, exposing England’s fragile middle order.
Bethell was soon fired. Enduring a fiery spell Will O’RourkePlaying fast and hostile, Bethell sliced the first delivery off Southee’s new spell straight to deep point. It was a disappointing end to what could have been a maiden Test century, but the youngster’s innings offered a glimpse of England’s future.
England’s middle-order meltdown and Ollie Pope’s careless batting
Harry BrookeHis poor form continued as he fell to 1, saving a snorter from O’Rourke. The vice-captain increased the pressure Ollie Popehis strange choice of personnel has drawn sharp criticism. Try scooping against a bad recommendation Matt Henry, Pope was bowled for 17 in a dismissal that symbolized England’s reckless and disjointed approach to the innings.
When the lower order was discovered, collapse was inevitable. Gus Atkinson and Matthew Potts punched in rapid succession Mitchell Santnerwreaked havoc with his accurate left arm spin. Brydon Carse Santner’s bowling was the last to fail as England’s last four wickets fell for just 19 runs.
In total, England’s innings lasted just 83 runs throughout the entire Test match, which fell far short of the required resilience against the reigning New Zealand side. captain Ben Stokes left hamstring on day three after recurrence of knee injury. Stokes will undergo further tests on Wednesday, although a scan is initially scheduled. His absence further weakened an already weakened England side and raised questions about England’s readiness for their upcoming commitments.
Also READ: Test cricket ft. Top 5 New Zealand players with most sixes in Tim Southee’s game
Tim Southee: A glorious farewell to a legendary career
The Test also marked an emotional milestone for Southee, who retired from Test cricket after 16 glorious years. Although he was not required to bowl after lunch on the final day, Southee’s impact on the match and New Zealand cricket as a whole was undeniable. Leading his team off the field, the 36-year-old seamer left behind a legacy of consistency, skill and leadership, bidding farewell to an illustrious career spanning 107 Tests and 391 wickets. Southee’s retirement was a celebration for New Zealand cricket, honoring one of its greatest pace bowlers.
England’s series win and the road ahead
Despite the crushing defeat, England ended the series with a 2-1 winhighlighting his ability to dominate early in the round. However, the last Test revealed significant weaknesses, including a fragile middle order, inconsistent shot selection and struggles with disciplined pace and spin. The focus now shifts to white-ball cricket for England before the Test summer begins Zimbabwe in May 2024. The emergence of players like Jacob Bethell remains a silver lining, but the team will need to address its weaknesses to build momentum for a tough year ahead.
Here’s how the fans reacted:
Tim Southee is one of the greatest New Zealanders to ever play the game of cricket.
Congratulations on a wonderful Test career Tim – thank you for representing New Zealand with such talent and honor on the world stage. pic.twitter.com/qNEIAUM7yK
— Christopher Luxon (@chrisluxonmp) December 17, 2024
New Zealand ended the series with a 423-run win and gave Tim Southee a great send-off.#NZvENG
— ThePoppingCrease (@PoppingCreaseSA) December 17, 2024
Thank you, Tim Southee! 🙌
Timothy Grant Southee bids farewell to the field in New Zealand’s Test jersey for the last time!#WTC #NewZealand #EnglandBarmyarmy #EnglandCricket #TimSouthee pic.twitter.com/IuGDH7Chwt
— Subash Chandra (@dasarisubash) December 17, 2024
107 Tests, 391 wickets, 98 sixes and a WTC title 🏆
Thanks for the memories, Tim Southee! 👏 Have a good retirement.#TimSouthee #Black caps #ENGvsNZ pic.twitter.com/du243sZUM1
— Vale Che (@vmani326) December 17, 2024
The New Zealand legend and one of Test cricket’s great fast bowlers agrees
776 international wickets for New Zealand in all three formats, including 389 in Tests and over 100 games.
Tim Southee was given a warm send off at Seddon Park.#Timessouth #EngvNg #retirement pic.twitter.com/94ZDBFAI6v
— chalchitra (@chalchitra11) December 17, 2024
.@BLACKCAPS Lose the Test series to 🏴, but finish the World Test Championship era ahead of them: 48.21 vs 43.81.
The truth is that both sides will/will be disappointed with their mediocre performances: 🇳🇿 who finished with 7 wins from 14 games; 22 with 11 🏴.
— Michael Appleton (@michelappleton) December 17, 2024
Saying off in style!
Mitch Santner (4-85), Tim Southee (2-34), Matt Henry (2-62) and Will O’Rourke (1-37) lead the batting with the ball. Get all points | https://t.co/gATDuNhj6S 📲 #NZvENG #CricketNation 📸 pic.twitter.com/xbGBqMTMAe
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) December 17, 2024
We lost in Hamilton, but came away with a 2-1 series win.
Our first game against the Black Caps in New Zealand since 2008. Well played guys 👏 pic.twitter.com/biUdAmrp4c
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) December 17, 2024
– 391 Test gate.
– 98 Test sixes.
– 7 fifty.
– 15 five-goal shots.CONGRATULATIONS, TIM SOUTHEE. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/AYZAcbKXWq
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) December 17, 2024
THANKS, TIM SOUTHEE….!!!!
– The end of an illustrious Test career, one of the Greats of the Modern Era. 🙇 pic.twitter.com/CjCqvz4q5Y
– Jones. (@CricCrazyJohns) December 17, 2024
