Williamson, Southee to play in Plunket Shield ahead of England Tests

Hamilton (New Zealand):  New Zealand batter Kane Williamson, along with teammate Tim Southee, will play in the first-class Plunket Shield championship, as the duo will be joining the Northern Districts squad against Auckland in round two, starting on Tuesday at Seddon Park. Williamson, who debuted for Northern Districts some 17 years ago, last appeared in the competition in October 2019. The 35-year-old batter, who turned down an NZC contract, will be playing his first competitive game since missing the recent Test tour of India with a groin injury. He joins the team with a strong Plunket Shield record, averaging 60 and holding the second-highest score in Northern Districts history (284 not out). Partnering Williamson, who is New Zealand’s all-time leading run-scorer, is their all-time leading wicket-taker Tim Southee, who currently sits on 770 scalps across an illustrious 18-year career. His Plunket Shield record is equally impressive as Williamson’s, taking 149 wickets at an average of less than 21 and 10 five-wicket hauls. Southee recently announced his Test retirement at the end of the England series, also taking place at his home ground in Seddon Park. Williamson, however, returned to the Test squad after recovering from the groin injury that ruled him out of the India tour after being named in the squad for the upcoming three-match Test series against England, starting at Hagley Oval on November 28. –IANS