Williamson, Southee set to play their 100th Tests as Mitchell, Kuggeleijn return for Australia series

New Zealand’s Test Cricket Milestone: Southee and Williamson to Play 100th Test

Auckland, Feb 18 (IANS) – Captain Tim Southee and premier batter Kane Williamson are set to play their 100th Test matches during the upcoming Test series against Australia starting at Wellington later this month. Southee and Williamson will join an exclusive club of New Zealand Test cricketers, including Stephen Fleming, Daniel Vettori, Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor.

Southee and Williamson enter the series as New Zealand’s second all-time leading Test wicket-taker and all-time leading Test run scorer, respectively. The pair played their 50th Tests together in 2016 against Zimbabwe and are considered some of the greatest players to have ever worn the New Zealand Test shirt.

Daryl Mitchell returns to the squad for the two-Test series after missing the second Test against South Africa and the upcoming T20Is against Australia to heal from a foot injury, while Scott Kuggeleijn is included in place of Kyle Jamieson, who is ruled out of the rest of the home summer due to a back stress fracture.

Kuggeleijn, who made his Test debut against England at Bay Oval last summer, is selected off the back of strong performances for New Zealand A against Australia A last year. The remainder of New Zealand’s Test squad is the same as the side which claimed a first-ever series victory over South Africa last week.

The series against Australia will be the first time New Zealand will face current World Test Championship holders Australia in Tests at home since 2016, and the New Zealand squad assembles in Wellington on February 26 ahead of the first Test at a sell-out Basin Reserve starting on February 29. The series promises to be an exciting one, with both teams looking to prove their dominance in the Test format.

New Zealand Test squad: Tim Southee (captain), Tom Blundell, Matt Henry, Scott Kuggeleijn, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson and Will Young.