Kane Williamson
Methodical. Precise. Balanced. Blessed with unearthly concentration.
They are all trademarks of Kane Williamson’s game along with the late cut, the soft hands, the exaggerated leave that crept into his game and the ability to score a century every third game or so.
The 33-year-old right-hander is without peer among New Zealand batters.
Martin Crowe was pretty to watch. His straight drives inspired a nation.
And you have to wonder how good Glenn Turner would have been had he been available for his country during his prime years.
But Williamson is the king of quantity and that is the currency in which batters mostly trade.
That brings us neatly to his record.
Marvel now.
His record
● 8490 runs at an average of 55.12, including 30 centuries
● Most runs for New Zealand
● Most centuries for New Zealand
● Highest average of all New Zealand batters who have played at least 20 innings
Better than Joe Root. Better than Steve Smith. Better than team-mate Daryl Mitchell. Better than Babar Azam and better than Virat Kohli. The ICC rank Williamson as the No 1 test batter at the moment. He is probably not better than Tina Turner, though. She was the Queen of rock ‘n’ roll after all. So, how does he compare with the other greats of the game who have scored 30 test tons or more? Here is the raw data.
The 30-plus club
Sachin Tendulkar (IND), 15,921 runs at 53.78, 51 centuries
Jacques Kallis (ICC/SA), 13,289 runs at 55.37, 45 centuries
Ricky Ponting (AUS), 13,378 runs at 51.85, 41 centuries
Kumar Sangakkara (SL), 12,400 runs at 57.40, 38 centuries
Rahul Dravid (ICC/IND), 13288 runs at 52.31, 36 centuries
Younis Khan (PAK), 10,099 runs at 52.05, 34, centuries
Sunil Gavaskar (IND), 10,122 runs at 51.12, 34 centuries
Brian Lara (ICC/WI), 11,953 runs at 52.88, 34 centuries
Mahela Jayawardene (SL), 11,814 runs at 49.84, 34 centuries
Alastair Cook (ENG), 12,472 runs at 45.35, 33 centuries
Steve Smith (AUS), 9634 runs at 58.03, 32 centuries
Steve Waugh (AUS), 10,927 runs at 51.06, 32 centuries
Kane Williamson (NZ), 8490 runs at 55.12, 31 centuries
Matthew Hayden (AUS), 8625 runs at 50.73, 30 centuries
Joe Root (ENG), 11,452 runs at 49.79, 30 centuries
Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI), 11,867 runs at 51.37, 30 centuries
— Some fellow called Don Bradman did not quite make the club. He scored 6996 at 99.94 and just 29 centuries.
Williamson has the fourth-highest average of the players who have 30 or more test centuries. Steve Smith (58.03), Kumar Sangakkara (57.40) and Jacques Kallis (55.37) lead the pack.
Only Sachin Tendulkar (159 innings) Steve Smith (162) and Matthew Hayden (167) reached 30 tons in fewer innings. Williamson got there in 169.
Another area where Williamson rises above most of the pack is in the fourth innings. He has scored four of his 31 centuries and averaged 50.38 in the fourth.
Sunil Gavaskar reigned supreme in the final innings. He averaged 58.25 batting last and notched four centuries as well. Younis Khan (50.51) reached triple figures five times and Ricky Ponting (50.41, four centuries) was a deadly finisher too.
Williamson’s record at home is the best among the 30-plus club.
Only six players in the history of the game, who have played at least 20 innings, average more at home than Williamson, who has scored 4494 runs at an average of 68.09.
Incredibly, he averages 117.60 in the fourth innings in New Zealand.
In the nine tests since he surrendered the captaincy, he has scored seven centuries and 1122 runs at an average of 80.14.
He is a once-in-a-generation talent. Maybe now is the time to start that conversation. Is he our greatest cricketer? Better than Richard Hadlee?
Hadlee is still our No 1. He grabbed 36 five-wicket bags, so let’s revisit the argument when Williamson has 36 centuries.
But the batter continues to enhance his reputation on a global stage.
Bradman endorsed Tendulkar as the batter who played the most like himself. That is good enough for me. There is also the little matter of the nearly 16,000 runs and 51 centuries he plundered. His appetite for runs was endless.
The Little Master played a record 200 tests. He reached his test batting peak part way through his 93rd test when his average had climbed to 59.17.
His genius and hunger was matched by Brian Lara. The elegant left-hander could manipulate the bowling like no other and he was incredibly hard to dislodge once he got set.
Those two are at the top of the list.
Jacques Kallis took 292 wickets to go with his 13,289 runs, and Kumar Sangakkara had the gloves for a good chunk of his career and still managed to score 12,400 runs at 57.40. That is a phenomenal effort.
Steve Smith is ugly to watch but so infuriatingly effective. And he has the highest average of the group.
Ricky Ponting was one of the most dominant players of his era and possessed one of the best pull shots in the game, but was equally adept off the front foot.
There is your top six right there.
But Williamson sits comfortably in the next group, alongside Younis Khan, Sunil Gavaskar, Matthew Hayden and Rahul Dravid.
That leaves Joe Root, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Mahela Jayawardene and Alastair Cook in the third drawer down, and Steve Waugh takes the wooden spoon because his autobiography was 800 or so pages long. Shame on you, Steve.
(Statistics were accurate on February 7)
