Williamson tops 10,000 on farewell
Another batting milestone ticked off, Kane Williamson farewelled Yorkshire for his last significant cricketing break before an intense eight-month buildup to next year’s World Cup.
New Zealand Cricket’s captain in all three formats, and most prized asset, ticked past 10,000 first-class runs during his innings of 51 against Somerset at Headingley at the weekend to wrap up his latest county stint.
He passed 10,000 in his
131st first-class match, the
27th New Zealand batsman to reach the mark and first since team-mate Ross Taylor got there last December. Williamson’s first-class average is 48.03, below his test mark of 50.35 as the world’s thirdranked batsman behind India’s Virat Kohli and Australia’s Steve Smith.
Williamson played 10
Twenty20 matches (280 runs at a strike rate of 148) and three first-class matches (218 runs, average 36.33) for Yorkshire in a shortened stay on agreement with New Zealand Cricket to manage his workload.
The 28-year-old now takes a few weeks off, will meet his new Black Caps coach Gary Stead who officially started work yesterday, and join the New Zealand squad for their pre-tour camp at Lincoln from September 26-28.
Aside from a few designated short breaks during the home summer, Williamson will be all go from next month onwards as New Zealand play three T20s, three ODIs and three tests against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates starting on October 31.
They then host Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh through the home summer before the Indian Premier League then the buildup to the World Cup in the UK in June.
Williamson recommended his Black Caps teammate Jeet Raval as a replacement overseas player, and the test opener will join Yorkshire for the final four matches of the County Championship division one season, starting tonight (NZT).
Yorkshire certainly need Raval to fire quickly as they sit second-last in the top division and in relegation danger.
‘‘It’s a newish experience, but with his technique and patience, I certainly hope he does, and expect him to do, a really good job at the top of the order,’’ Williamson told York’s The Press.
Williamson wasn’t the only New Zealander to pass a milestone at the weekend as Warwickshire and Wellington offspinner Jeetan Patel reached 800 first-class wickets.
The 38-year-old, who retired from international cricket last year, snared a
10-wicket bag against Glamorgan at Colwyn Bay to become the fifth New Zealander to the milestone after Sir Richard Hadlee
(1490), Clarrie Grimmett
(1424), Syd Smith (955) and Tom Pritchard (818).
Patel has 49 wickets at
20.71 this season as Warwickshire captain, with the county leading division two and in the box seat for promotion with four matches remaining.
‘‘I knew I was verging on the milestone of 800 wickets and I’m glad I got that out of the way so I could get on with the game. I wanted five, then I realised I could get 10 in the game. But the guys at the other end did their job so I could keep attacking,’’ Patel told the BBC after snaring
7-83 in the Glamorgan second innings.
Patel is contracted with Wellington for another season and is expected back in the capital for their Plunket Shield opener against Auckland on October
10.