Kane Williamson became just the 13th New Zealand batsman to score a Test hundred at Lord’s when he reached triple figures against England on the third day of the first Test yesterday.
His innings was the 14th Test century by a New Zealander at Lord’s, with Martin Crowe — one of Williamson’s mentors — having achieved the feat twice.
Williamson, 92 out overnight, completed his hundred in just over three hours, scoring 12 fours. At lunch, which was taken early as a shower fell, he was on 112 as New Zealand reached 407/4 for a lead of 18 runs after Williamson and Ross Taylor mastered a lifeless England attack to lift New Zealand to 303-2 at the close on the second day on Friday.
Photo: AP
Replying to England’s 389, the pair shared a third-wicket partnership of 189 into yesterday to give the touring side the ascendancy in the match.
Tom Latham and Martin Guptill made fluent half centuries in a solid opening partnership of 148 before the former, on 59, was trapped LBW by spinner Moeen Ali.
Three deliveries later, Guptill drove Stuart Broad loosely to cover where Gary Ballance took a fine sprawling catch to dismiss the elegant right-hander for 70.
Photo: AFP
That was England’s last success of Friday as the compact Williamson went about his work.
He pushed the ball around cleverly and efficiently dispatched loose balls to the boundary, reaching his 50 off 78 deliveries.
Taylor started watchfully, but he played a couple of sweetly timed drives in the final session to signal his return to form after a poor run.
England captain Alastair Cook rotated his bowlers, but none of the seamers extracted any movement and the hosts were sloppy in the field, Ian Bell spilling a catch in the slips and Broad failing to run out Taylor.
“We are not far from the new ball so hopefully we can bowl a bit better,” Moeen told Sky Sports. “I was happy with the way I bowled today. I have been working on my action. I was forcing it in the West Indies.”
“We need to keep going the way we are and pushing to get ahead and build a good first innings lead,” Guptill told Sky Sports. “Then we can really build from there.”
Ross Taylor was out for 62 yesterday and New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum made a swashbuckling 42 before becoming Mark Wood’s first Test victim.
The explosive McCullum joined Williamson at the crease and immediately signalled his intent by flashing the first delivery through the covers for four.
Corey Anderson was the other not out batsman on 4 not out.
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