Black Caps refuse to let up despite sealing series

All going well, Tim Southee will be quietly celebrating a clean sweep of the Black Caps’ one day international series against Bangladesh in the team hotel on New Year’s Eve.

The experienced Black Caps bowler will miss the Twenty20 campaign that follows, so the third ODI at Nelson’s Saxton Oval today will be his final act until January 12.

The initial explanation for his absence was that Southee was going to be rested. However, the 28-year-old revealed that he’s going to get a head start on the test

preparations, so it’s not exactly a break.

‘‘It’ll be nice to get some overs under the belt in the nets with a red ball leading in to that test series,’’ he said.

‘‘With the nature of chopping and changing formats and what not, and the quick turn around from the Twenty20 series and the test series, it’s a chance to hone in on my test skills and it’s a chance to see what the depth is like,’’ Southee said.

The Black Caps managed to wrap up the ODI series with a game to spare on Thursday, Neil Broom’s maiden century (109 not out), some canny Kane Williamson bowling (3-22) and a Bangladesh batting collapse (losing nine wickets for 79 runs) sparking the 67-run victory.

Southee, who took 2-33 from nine overs, said it was satisfying to get the job done early, stretching their unbeaten record at home against Bangladesh to nine games.

‘‘We know going to Bangladesh isn’t easy so we want to make it as tough as we can for them when they come here,’’ he said.

‘‘Although the series is done and we’ve won that, we can’t relax [on Saturday] because they’re a quality side and we have to be at the top of our game.’’

Saxton Oval is the new kid on the block when it comes to international cricket venues in New Zealand so there’s always an element of learning more about the wicket. But if there was one learning that came out of Thursday’s fixture, it was that the spinners can benefit in Nelson, Williamson coming away with the second-best figures of his ODI career in a rare spell with the ball.

‘‘I think he surprised himself in the way he bowled,’’ Southee said of his captain’s efforts.

‘‘II think it was just another option we have going forward and on wickets like this where it tends to be a little bit slower but that was a massive period of the game and he managed to come in and get three wickets, and with the runout as well, it was a big part in the victory in the end.’’

Williamson’s success, breaking apart the Bangladesh middle order, is what sparked the surprise recall of Jeetan Patel, the veteran spinner in line for his first ODI since 2009.

Trent Boult will sit out today’s game and could be a straight swap for Patel, though Matt Henry could also be given a chance at the expense of Lockie Ferguson.