Cricket: Williamson making history

Kane Williamson's 161 not out yesterday was his third century this year. Photo / AP

Making predictions can be a fraught, and expensive, business.

You can get bitten sharply when it goes wrong. Like the Spanish football fans who assumed they'd arrive in samba land in time for their defending champion countrymen's march through the knockout stage of the World Cup only to pass their plane going the other way.

But when you look at Kane Williamson you imagine 11 more test hundreds to overtake Martin Crowe are comfortably within his reach. His 161 not out to push New Zealand to a formidable position by stumps in the third and deciding test against the West Indies was the highest of his seven test hundreds.

It was his third this year, second in the series, and at stumps yesterday, of those with seven or more test tons, only Ross Taylor, Martin Crowe, Glenn Turner and Andrew Jones had a higher test average.

Consider this: Don Bradman had 12 of his 29 centuries before turning 24; Garry Sobers had nine of his 26; and Sachin Tendulkar 11 of his record-setting 51. Crowe also had seven by that stage, in two extra tests.

But Williamson doesn't spend much time studying numbers. His philosophy is simple. "I am just trying to improve my game all the time and adapt to what's in front of me," Williamson said yesterday.

"I just want to stay calm and relaxed at the crease and try and score as many runs as I can, as often as I can."

Blockbusting opener Chris Gayle has been rested from the two T20 internationals against New Zealand.

The squad
Darren Sammy (c), Dwayne Smith, Andre Fletcher, Darren Bravo, Lendl Simmons, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Krishmar Santokie, Samuel Badree, Christopher Barnwell, Sheldon Cottrell, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell.

Most test centuries for NZ
17: Martin Crowe 77 tests, average 45.36
12: John Wright 82, 37.82
11: *Ross Taylor 57, 46.43
11: Nathan Astle 81, 37.02
9: *Brendon McCullum 87, 37.01
9: Stephen Fleming 111, 40.06
7: * Kane Williamson, 34, 40.28
7: Glenn Turner 41, 44.64
7: Andrew Jones 39, 44.27
7: Bevan Congdon 61, 32.22
* denotes playing in current test