At a glance
New Zealand’s top test centurymakers:
■ 22: Kanewilliamson
■ 19: Ross Taylor
■ 17: Martin Crowe
■ 12: John Wright, Brendon Mccullum
■ 11: Tom Latham, Nathan Astle
balls and striking 34 fours and two sixes.
Williamson got one reprieve when looking to accelerate the scoring rate on 221 when he edged a ball through to stand-in keeper Shamarh Brooks, only for it to be revealed as a no-ball as Williamson was walking off.
Soon after his dismissal – and after Kyle Jamieson notched his maiden test half-century – Williamson declarednew Zealand’s first innings at 519-7.
At stumps, the visitors were 49-0 as openers Kraigg Brathwaite and John Campbell dug in commendably during a testing period from New Zealand’s fourpronged pace attack.
Such is Williamson’s control over his batting that it could even cause frustration for his partners at the other end, struggling manfully to overcome a demanding attack from the visitors – if they didn’t have the comfort of the benefits their captain’s excellence was contributing to the success of the side.
While Will Young (5), Henry Nicholls (7), Tom Blundell (14) and Daryl Mitchell (9) succumbed cheaply, their captain batted imperturbably for more than a day.
Williamson’s attributes are multitude and obvious for all to see. He plays at deliveries only when it’s demanded of him, or when he knows he can profit from an opportunity to accumulate runs.
His penchant for playing defensive shots with soft hands oftenmeans on the rare occasions when he is beaten by movement through the air or off the pitch, the resulting edge does not carry to the field.
Capable of scoring to all parts of the ground, the 30-year-old waited until yesterday afternoon – 80 minutes after bringing up his century – to unleash the first pull shot of his innings, suchwas the discipline applied to his trade.
Such was his utter superiority that the rare blemishes– a topedged cut over the slips cordon off Kemar Roach when on 180 – are more unexpected than a politician’s apology.
Shannon Gabriel, Kemar Roach and Jasonholderwere all dogged in trying to removenew Zealand’s mainstay and much improved on their initial efforts on Thursday.
Roach became the eighth-best wicket-taker in West Indian test historywhen he finished with 3-114 off 30 overs, surpassing Sir Andy Roberts in getting to 204 test victims.
But the off-spin of Roston Chase proved far less demanding than the questions posed to contestants on the televised quiz show that shares his surname, which combined with Williamson’s impact never allowed the tourists to place New Zealand under serious pressure.
The visitors also had to replace wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich with Brooks at the start of day two due to an injured handwhile batsman Darren Bravowill have to bat down the order after receiving treatment yesterday for the Achilles tendon injury he suffered late in the field on day one.
NEWZEALAND
First innings
T Latham b Roach ................................. 86 W Young lbw b Gabriel .......................... 5 K Williamson c Chase b Joseph .... 251 R Taylor c Brooks b Gabriel ............... 38 H Nicholls c Holder b Roach ............... 7 T Blundell lbw b Gabriel ...................... 14 D Mitchell c Holder b Roach .............. 9 K Jamieson not out ................................ 51 T Southee not out .................................... 11 Extras (11b, 23lb, 1w, 12nb) .................. 47 Total (for 7 wkts dec, 145 overs) .. 519 Fall: Young (14), Latham (168), 251 (Taylor), 281 (Nicholls), 353 (Blundell), 409 (Mitchell), 503 (Williamson). Bowling: K Roach 30-7-114-3 (3nb), S Gabriel 25-6-89-3 (8nb), J Holder 31-12-60-0 (1nb), A Joseph 31-8-99-1 (1w), R Chase 25-0-109-0, K Brathwaite 3-0-14-0.
WEST INDIES
First innings
K Brathwaite not out ............................. 20 J Campbell not out ................................ 22 Extras (4b, 1lb, 1w, 1nb) ........................... 7 Total (for 0 wkts, 26 overs) .............. 49 Bowling: T Southee 9-3-20-0, T Boult 6-1-6-0 (1w), K Jamieson 6-2-7-0, N Wagner 6-1-11-0.