Williamson and Southee’s 100th Test celebration marred by in-fighting

This should be a week of celebration for New Zealand cricket. But two 100th Test milestones, the Black Caps’ preparation has been overshadowed by talk of in-fighting in the camp.

Tim Southee will celebrate his 100th Test for New Zealand against Australia on Friday. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

This should be a week of celebration for New Zealand cricket.

The build-up to the second Test was supposed to be about parading Tim Southee and Kane Williamson, who will become the fifth and sixth players respectively to reach the 100-Test milestone for the Black Caps.

It is the captain and the former captain, the second most prolific bowler in NZ Test history alongside the most celebrated and objectively successful batter. Both mainstays of more than a decade, members of the side that claimed the breakthrough World Test Championship title in 2021, delivering NZ a global crown of years of near misses.

The zen, fearless overachievers of world cricket. Impossible not to like. All smiles. Plenty of hugs.

New Zealand's Kane Williamson will bring up his 100th Test this week. Picture: AFP

But the days leading up to Friday at Hagley Oval have given the impression of a paradise lost.

NZ continues to seem entranced by Australia. The trans-Tasman Trophy has already been ceded, again.

Southee and Williamson were among their sides’ worst performers in Wellington too. At 35, the former - never rapid - is down on pace and appearing increasingly unthreatening. He has just four wickets from his three Tests this home summer and dropped two catches in the first Test.

Tim Southee appeared increasingly unthreatening with the ball for New Zealand in their loss to Australia a week ago. Picture: Getty Images

At 33, the latter is still a prized wicket but threw it all away at the Basin, run out for a duck in the first innings in a village-level mix-up with Will Young before falling into Nathan Lyon’s leg-side trap in the second dig.

If only that was it though. NZ is embroiled in a low-key civil war. It started with Neil Wagner’s retirement on the eve of the first Test, having been told he would not make the XI.

Southee at first refused to shut down the idea of a Wagner return to replace the injured Will O’Rourke, hamstrung in Wellington. Yet by the following morning, the notion had been completely snuffed out as Ben Sears was called up for what will be his Test debut, leaving Mitchell Santner and Scott Kuggeleijn to jostle for the final spot.

Ross Taylor, NZ’s joint most-capped Test player alongside Daniel Vettori, fuelled the fire when he claimed on ESPN early in the week that Wagner had been subjected to a “forced retirement” while also sharply criticising Southee’s second innings dismissal in the 172-run first Test defeat.

Both Kane Williamson and Tim Southee have since rejected former Test player Ross Taylor’s assertion that Neil Wagner was forced into an early retirement. Picture: Getty Images

Both Williamson and Southee have since rejected Taylor’s assertion about Wagner, and speaking more generally, Southee gave the indication his relationship with Taylor is about as warm as Christchurch at dawn.

“I haven’t had a lot to do with Ross since he’s retired,” Southee said.

“But yeah, he’s obviously a great of our game. And yeah, I haven’t ever had too much to do with him post-post-cricket. Everyone’s entitled their opinion. All I have been worried about is the guys in the change room … the ones who go out there and do the work.

“He knows what it’s like to be inside those four walls. He was in there for 112 Test matches. So yeah, I guess it’s a little bit disappointing. But, but in saying that there’s this full belief within those four walls that we can get there get the job done over the next five days.”

Matt Henry and Tim Southee talk during day three of the First Test. Picture: Getty Images

With Trent Boult and Colin De Grandhomme having given up Test cricket, Wagner now a spent force, Taylor throwing darts from the cheap seats and Southee in the twilight of his career, it is hard to avoid the impression that a mini-empire has fallen, and that Southee is grimly fighting to ensure his spot does not go the same way as Wagner’s.

“There’s no hiding from the fact that the last couple of Test matches have been disappointing,” Southee said.

“I know that. I would always like more wickets and hopefully there’s some to come.”

Originally published as Williamson and Southee’s 100th Test celebration marred by in-fighting