Sylhet, Nov 29 (UNI) New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson notched up a fine hundred on a slow track in Sylhet on day two of the first Test against Bangladesh.
Williamson’s hundred was the 29th of his Test career, helping him go level with Virat Kohli and Sir Donald Bradman. The skipper was the only player from New Zealand to make a fifty-plus score in
the innings until close of play on day two.
He walked in after Tom Latham was dismissed in the 13th over by Taijul Islam and found good support from Daryl Mitchell after Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls fell for less than 20.
Williamson brought up his fifty off 75 balls, scoring at a quicker rate than usual with the spinners getting substantial turn, an ICC report said.
He survived a dropped catch in the 49th over when Taijul put him down off Nayeen Hasan at mid-wicket just before the tea break. Another chance came off Nayeem with the batter on 70, but the Bangladesh fielder misjudged the catch to give the New Zealand batter another life.
With Glenn Phillips taking the pressure off Williamson at the other end, the captain notched up his hundred, but fell soon after, bowled by Taijul Islam for 104.
With the hundred, Williamson became the first New Zealand batter to make hundreds in four successive Tests.
Williamson had made 132 against England in Wellington earlier in the year and followed it up with 121 not out and 215 against Sri Lanka in back-to-back Tests in Christchurch and Wellington. With
this hundred, Williamson completed four on the trot to equal the likes of Matthew Hayden, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and a few others.
The record is held by Bradman, who made hundreds in six consecutive Test matches between 1937 and 1938.
New Zealand ended the day on 266/8, trailing Bangladesh by 44 runs with a tricky fourth innings chase on the cards on a pitch that is getting no easier for batting.
