Black Caps v South Africa: Enjoy Kane Williamson’s dominance while you can - Andrew Alderson

By Andrew Alderson at Bay Oval

Kane Williamson’s 30th test century should have come with a public health warning for fans.

“Beware the risk of contracting complacency. This won’t last forever.”

As the greatest New Zealand batter of his era grafted at Bay Oval, those on the scorched embankments could be forgiven for distraction.

“Williamson’s at the crease, so we’re safe for now. I’ll just do Wordle while you rummage around in the hamper for the thermos…”

Stop, put your phone down, and absorb a cricketing maestro at work.

The range of injuries - a right anterior cruciate knee ligament, a left thumb, a right hamstring - on his 33-year-old body over the past year are foreboding.

Rachin Ravindra put on a third-wicket record 232 with Williamson for the Black Caps against the Proteas.

He summed up his mentor delivering shades of Lazarus over the past year.

“It shows the resilience of the man, to go through all those injuries and to come out the other side almost a better cricketer.

“That demonstrates an incredible amount of character and work ethic, especially the way he gives back to the team.

“A lot of guys could’ve played that much international cricket and not had the same drive. He’s unbelievable; the model of a cricketing personality to have around.”

Williamson looked distracted and ill-at-ease on occasion, but professionalism and experience are worth their weight in runs.

One example saw him sky medium-pacer Ruan de Swardt to extra cover on 45. Debutant Edward Moore shelled the ball running back.

His stoic countenance soon returned, offering a legion of local supporters a tutorial in the art of accumulation. He eventually holed out with a steepler to mid-off on the second morning.

Williamson is reluctant to accept that his figures, outside those appearing in the team’s “W” column, have helped shape an era.

However, he has the grace to accept that other cricket lovers revel in such minutiae.

Williamson now has the same number of centuries as Matthew Hayden, Joe Root and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, but achieved the mark in fewer innings. He passed batting luminaries Sir Don Bradman and Virat Kohli on 29 in the process.

That tally places him seventh on the innings-per-century list for those to feature more than 30 times at the crease across test history.

Williamson scores a ton every 5.63 knocks, behind Bradman (2.76), George Headley (4), Clyde Walcott (4.93), compatriot John F Reid (5.17), Herbert Sutcliffe (5.25) and Everton Weekes (5.4).

Enjoy such dominance while you can.