Williamson NZ’s best in test history rankings

Move over Sir Richard Hadlee, Kane Williamson is now New Zealand’s highest-rated player in test cricket history.

Williamson is just seven ICC test ranking points away from the No 1 test batsman in the world, Indian captain Virat Kohli.

If he overtakes Kohli it will be the second time the Black Caps captain has been No 1 – the last time he held the rank was in 2015.

By reaching a career-best of 915 rating points after New Zealand’s win over Bangladesh, Williamson has surpassed Hadlee, the only other Kiwi to cross the 900-point mark with a best of 909 points in bowling.

He passed Hadlee after his unbeaten double century in the first test against Bangladesh in Hamilton, the centrepiece of a victory by an innings and 52 runs.

Williamson’s 200 not out, which earned him the player of the match title, lifted him from 897 points to within seven points of Kohli, who is at the top of the ICC test player rankings with 922 points.

With two more tests to go in the series, Williamson has a chance to regain the top spot.

Fellow Black Caps Neil Wagner and Tom Latham also climbed up the rankings

Latham’s innings of 161 lifted him one place to a career-best 11th position among the batsmen and just three points shy of South Africa’s Faf du Plessis.

Bowlers Trent Boult (down two places to eighth) and Tim Southee (ninth) remain in the top 10 while Wagner is moving in the right direction, gaining three places and reaching 11th position after finishing with seven wickets in the match, including a fivewicket haul in the first innings.