Has Tim Southee "arrived"?
 

Just something to balance out the doom and gloom

In the past 5 months Tim Southee has struck a wonderful vein of form. Since coming back into the side against the West Indies, Southee has taken 23 wickets in tests at 17.30 and 15 wickets in ODI's at 20.80. In hot and tiring conditions, he has been quick (often averaging around the 140 kph mark), accurate and has generated significant swing utilised with admirable control. He's even showed signs of developing an inswinger to complement his usual outswing style.

While he has largely been a disappointment to cricket fans over the past 4 and a half years, it is important to remember that Southee is still only 23, the kind of age at which most young quicks would only first be considered for international honours. His test average remains mediocre at 35, but this has fallen by nearly 10 runs since he was dropped from the side for poor form back in March.

So what do you think. Is Southee's current run a purple patch, that will fade away and see him return to being an occasionally devastating but usually ineffective trundler? Are his recent performances a sign that Southee is one of those unusual pace-bowlers that thrive in the sub-continent, but struggle in what most would think would be more supportive conditions? Or has he discovered the right mix to genuinely trouble even the best batsmen on all surfaces, and if so what could he be capable of in the coming years?

Reckon he's had a James Anderson like turnaround.

He's hitting his straps IMO. Give him a couple of years till he's the real deal.

Important to remember that on bad injury or slump of form could lead to him not reaching these peaks again. He needs to be well maintained now. Fitness wise and form wise.

Never been a fan of his action. It looks fairly cobbled together with the front arm not doing nearly as much. I wonder if he can sustain this sort of rhythm for long with it.

He's discovered the mix of what works and what doesn't but I'm going to be pessimistic and suggest he'll have another 6-12 month period where he's ineffective before we can really lock him in as having made it.

I think by age 26 he'll have finally 'arrived' and will be our best bowler from there on out.

I'll sit on the fence until after our tour of England.

He gets plenty of action by all accounts, gets all the front arm work done for him

Wonder how much Bond's helped him.

always been a fan will be the pace attack leader for good 8-10 years.

IMO, he's the form pace bowler in the world right now, pending how well Steyn goes at the WACA.

But I still think he has a lot of work to do to guard against complacency. I think he needs to be constantly working on and maintaining his action to ensure that he keeps swinging the ball. He's much better at not being cannon fodder when it doesn't swing now than he was 6 months ago, but he's too good to just be content with that, because when he gets it right he's pretty unplayable. A couple of spells in the first test showed this - genuinely good batsman trying to defend and not attack (i.e. not Dilshan's dismissal in the second test) still could not prevent him from taking their wicket.

Aside from that, he will also have to contend with batsmen who will analyse the hell out of him to make him less effective. Sri Lanka sorta caught on to this when they made sure that they recognised his change-up off cutter in the second innings. He just has to make sure he's concealing his variations well and perhaps slowly adding to his arsenal.

Pfft.

Anyway, he's basically done what I wanted him to do and knuckled down a bit. Certainly can't complain about his returns after looking insipid for quite some time. Long may it continue.

I hope so.

Some early posts about Southee while he was finding his feet. What I commented on was the need for him to develop his speed - he used to be 135 he can now crank it at 140 if he wants to. His intelligence - which is now a strength of his - he is a very intelligent bowler - and his off cutter which could probably still be improved but is better.

Really it is his intelligence that seems to have grown the most. In the following posts you will see that he used to follow up a good ball by trying to bowl another good ball to keep the pressure on. Now instead he seems to work to a plan and will bowl a variety of deliveries including a judicious bouncer.

25-10-2009
19-03-2010
31-10-2010
28-10-2010

Give it up for the man.

Hopefully. Although tbf mostly had to bowl in harsh conditions even before - when was it when he looked utterly dire?