Editorial: King Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson is one cricketer who deserves greatness.

Superlatives are often over-used in sport.

Too many athletes have greatness bestowed upon them, but Kane Williamson is one cricketer who deserves the accolade.

On Tuesday at Hamilton's Seddon Park he scored 176, his 17th test century to equal the record number scored for New Zealand by the late Martin Crowe.

He also became the sixth New Zealander to reach 5000 test runs and the fastest in 110 innings, seven inside Crowe's old mark.

At 26 years and 231 days, he is the third youngest test player to complete the feat behind India's Sachin Tendulkar and England's Alastair Cook.

When Williamson finishes up he may well set batting records no other New Zealander will get close to. His test average is now 51.16 and is set to continue climbing.

If not for rain yesterday, he would surely have captained his team to the first test win over South Africa since 2004.

Williamson is the product of a supportive, loving family and was nurtured along the way at Pillans Point Primary, Otumoetai Intermediate and Tauranga Boys' College, where he was head boy.

The traditions of the game and how you behave matter to him. They are reflected in his demeanour and how his team acts in the heat of battle.

The spiteful scenes in India between warring captains Steve Smith of Australia and India's Virat Kohli in the series that finished this week are a blight on the game.

It is a sure bet that at no stage will Williamson ever bring the game into disrepute to those levels.

South Africa's world class pace bowler Morne Morkel best summed up Williamson's innings of 176 in Hamilton.

"Kane was exceptional. It was a fantastic innings. He's a hard man to bowl to."

High praise indeed.