Kane Williamson becomes third batter to 10 WTC centuries: Stats
The in-form Kane Williamson has been on a record-breaking spree lately. He scored a sensational fourth-innings ton in the recently concluded second Test against South Africa in Hamilton. Williamson made an unbeaten 133 off 260 balls as NZ won by seven wickets. With this hundred, the Kiwi star became the third batter to accomplish 10 centuries in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) history.
Williamson joins this elite list
While Williamson now owns 10 WTC tons, only England's Joe Root (12) and Australia's Marnus Labuschagne (11) have more centuries in this regard. Daryl Mitchell (5 hundreds) trails Williamson among Kiwi batters in this regard. Having played 21 WTC games, Williamson has raced to 2,212 runs at 69.12. The tally also includes two fifties. Overall, Williamson is the 12th-highest run-getter in WTC history.
Best average in WTC history
Williamson's average of 69.12 is the best among batters with at least 100 runs in WTC history. Interestingly, no other batter with 1,000 or more runs even averages 57. Williamson is trailed by his teammate Mitchell (56.26) in this regard. At home, Williamson's average in WTC escalates even further to 123. He owns 1,476 runs in this regard.
Dissecting Williamson's WTC numbers
While Williamson owns 2,212 WTC runs, Tom Latham (1,823) is the only other Kiwi batter with 1,300-plus runs in this regard. Notably, Williamson led NZ to glory in the inaugural WTC edition (2019-21). He hammered 918 runs in that cycle at 61.2. Though NZ finished sixth in the 2021-23 cycle, Williamson clocked 752 runs in that period at 75.2.
Four tons in the ongoing edition
Williamson has returned with four centuries across eight innings in the ongoing 2023-25 WTC cycle. He has hammered 542 runs in this period at 77.42. Indian openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (2) and Rohit Sharma (2) are the only other batters with multiple tons in this cycle. Williamson, who scored twin tons in the series opener vs SA, finished the series with 403 runs at 134.33.
Williamson joins this elite list
En route to his 133*, Williamson became the fifth batter to complete 1,000 runs in NZ-SA Tests. He has joined Jacques Kallis (1,543), Hashim Amla (1,154), Jackie McGlew (1,100), and Stephen Fleming (1,072). Playing his 12th Test against SA, Williamson averages 62.82 against them (50s: 2, 100: 6). He has not scored more Test tons against any other team.
8,500 runs for Williamson
Williamson completed 8,500 Test runs en route to his 43 in the first innings. He has now raced to 8,666 runs at 55.9. His tally includes 32 tons and 33 fifties (200s: 6). Notably, Williamson became the fastest to reach 32 Test tons, having taken 172 innings of 98 Tests. Williamson has now scored seven tons in his last 12 Test innings.
How did the game pan out?
Batting first, SA managed 242 as Ruan de Swardt made 64. Debutant pacer William O'Rourke claimed four wickets. Dane Peidt's fifer meant NZ were dismissed for 211 in reply. SA posted 235 in this second outing as David Bedingham starred with a brilliant ton. O'Rourke took a fifer. Chasing 267, NZ comfortably crossed the line thanks to Williamson's ton.
