New Zealand’s star batter Kane Williamson has etched his name into the history books on Monday after scoring his fifth consecutive Test century at Hamilton’s Seddon Park during the third Test against England. This monumental feat has made Williamson the first-ever batter to score hundreds in five consecutive Test matches at a single venue.
Kane Williamson Breaking Legendary Records
Achieving the feat means Williamson surpassed 14 batting legends who had made four Test centuries in succession at respective venues. Some of those legends included Don Bradman who had done it at Melbourne and Leeds. Williamson, on his part, will be sitting on top by himself.
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A Century Filled With Milestones
Batting in New Zealand’s second innings, Williamson scored his 33rd Test century, further solidifying his stature as one of the modern greats. It also marked his seventh Test ton at Seddon Park, underlining his supreme form at the venue. In addition, Williamson became only the sixth batter to score over 1,000 Test runs this year, an achievement made even more impressive given that he missed New Zealand’s successful tour of India earlier in the year.
Williamson achieved the remarkable feat of 33 centuries in a mere 186 Test innings, third-fastest ever in cricket history to accomplish this, after Ricky Ponting in 178 innings and Sachin Tendulkar in 179 innings.
Kane Williamson’s Dominance In Home Conditions
With this innings, Williamson also became the first New Zealand batter to surpass 5,000 Test runs at home. His phenomenal batting average of 66.77 in New Zealand is the highest for any batter with over 5,000 Test runs in a single country. This consistency underscores his unmatched ability to thrive under familiar conditions.
A Landmark 150-Plus Knock
The previous captain didn’t rest at a hundred-he continued on to record his fourth 150-plus score at Seddon Park, before eventually getting dismissed at 156. Williamson is now joined in this group by some of the cricket’s greatest legends: Len Hutton at The Oval, Joe Root at Lord’s, and Don Bradman at MCG, all who have recorded four 150-plus scores at one venue. In that list are Sri Lankan legends Mahela Jayawardene (six at SSC, Colombo, and five at Galle) and Kumar Sangakkara (five at SSC).
New Zealand Sets a Mammoth Target- England Under Immense Pressure
It was Williamson’s brilliance that took New Zealand to 658 runs for England to chase. It was the second-highest target set by the Kiwis in Test cricket. England were down at 18/2 at stumps on Day 3, leaving much to be done if they are to avoid defeat.
