‘A true role model’
WILLIAMSON REWRITES RECORD BOOKS
- Kane Williamson became only the third and also the fastest New Zealand batsman to score 7000 Test runs. He sits behind only Stephen Fleming (7172) and Ross Taylor (7379).
- Williamson took only 144 innings to reach the landmark in the longest format of the game. Ross Taylor is currently the highest run-scorer for the Black Caps in Test cricket and scored the same amount of runs in 169 innings.
- The New Zealand captain slammed his fourth double-century in the Test. He now has the joint-highest double-tons in the format among the Kiwi players alongside Brendon McCullum.
- Williamson now has the most number of Test hundreds (13) on home soil. Previously, the record was jointly held by him and Taylor.
- Williamson is only the fourth batsman to score a century in three straight Test matches for the Kiwis, with the other three being Mark Burgess (1969-72), Ross Taylor (2013), and Tom Latham (2018-19).
- Since 2016, he is only the second captain to score more than 10 Test hundreds. He presently sits on 11, behind India's Virat Kohli, who has 16 Test tons.
- The 30-year-old now has the highest average, which is 65.74, in Test cricket in the last three years when it comes to batters who have scored a minimum of 1000 runs.
Kane Williamson is still finding new and interesting ways to score runs, even if the rest of us are running out of superlatives to describe them.
Williamson was extraordinary in Christchurch, first pulling New Zealand through a difficult phase in partnership with Henry Nicholls, going on to his first century on this ground and then adding splashes of vivid colour as he surged to his fourth Test double century, a figure matched only by the man who has just anointed him the best batsman in the world, Brendon McCullum.
McCullum Williamson as an "absolute genius".
The 30-year-old Williamson added a second double-century to his preposterous summer CV that now reads 238, 21, 129 and the 251 he scored in his only bat against the West Indies.
"Not at all surprised to see the consistency of Kane Williamson," tweeted former India great VVS Laxman. "Unbelievable work ethics and attention to detail while preparing for any match are the reasons behind his success. A true role model for any youngster to emulate."
Daryl Mitchell, who has described getting his maiden Test century as "surreal", after he stroked 102 at his adopted hometown in Christchurch, credited Williamson's sublime double-century for putting the hosts in such a commanding position.
"Obviously Kane's 238 .. that's pretty amazing and he has set us up for a chance to win this Test match," Mitchell said. "He is a freak, isn't he? He's amazing. He makes the game look so easy at the moment and the way he's going about things, it's cool to see him doing so well. For me I've played against Kane when I was about 14 years old and now to be playing test cricket with him as well. He's a very special player and probably will easily go down as New Zealand's greatest."
Williamson has commanded the crease for nearly nine hours since going to the middle in the 20th over.
Comments