What could work against Williamson is a very light test schedule in 2025, which currently sits at four, but could increase to seven, according to The Post. As it stands the Black Caps tour Zimbabwe in July, however with Williamson opting out of a central contract, he can also opt out of that trip.
The only other scheduled test series is a West Indies visit to New Zealand next summer for three tests. Against the West Indies, Williamson averages 60.62, with three centuries including a 251 in Hamilton.
2026 provides a more promising and challenging test schedule with three tests in England, India at home for two tests and then a four-test tour of Australia.
Williamson’s 156 at Seddon Park was his 20th century in New Zealand, and his fifth against England. He now has five or more against England, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka.
In the past year, Williamson has passed Don Bradman, Virat Kohli, Matthew Hayden, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Steve Waugh and Alastair Cook to move to 11th on the all-time list. One more and he’ll surpass Brian Lara, Mahela Jayawardene, Sunil Gavaskar and Younis Khan to move to seventh - due to the fewer innings it has taken Williamson to reach the marks.
Serious greats of the game. He’s edging closer to a serious discussion of whether he overtakes Sir Richard Hadlee as New Zealand’s Goat.
Maybe a closer debate if Williamson gets to 36 centuries, matching Hadlee’s 36 five-wicket bags, which would put him fifth all-time.
But if you factor in Williamson’s ODI, T20 and captaincy record, he could be already there.
The one name that has surged by Williamson on the all-time list is the equally brilliant Joe Root, who going into day four in Hamilton has 19 tons in the last four years - that’s across 55 tests. Over the same span, Williamson has played 23 tests and scored 10 centuries.
By the end of the third test, Root would have played 31 innings in 2024, the same number of times Williamson went out to bat the last two years.
Kane Williamson’s list of test centuries
1) 131 v India, Ahmedabad, Nov 2010
2) 102* v South Africa, Wellington, Mar 2012
3) 135 v Sri Lanka, Colombo, Nov 2012
4) 114 v Bangladesh, Chattogram Oct 2013
5) 113 v India, Auckland, Feb 2014
6) 113 v West Indies, Kingston, Jun 2014
7) 161* v West Indies, Bridgetown, Jun 2014
8) 192 v Pakistan, Pakistan, Sharjah, Nov 2014
9) 242* v Sri Lanka, Wellington, Jan 2015
10) 132 v England, Lord’s, May 2015
11) 140 v Australia, Brisbane, Nov 2015
12) 166 v Australia, Perth, Nov 2015
13) 108* v Sri Lanka, Hamilton, Dec 2015
14) 113 v Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, Aug 2016
15) 104* v Bangladesh, Wellington, Jan 2017
16) 130 v South Africa, Dunedin, Mar 2017
17) 176 v South Africa, Hamilton, Mar 2017
18) 102 v England, Eden Park, Mar 2018
19) 139 v Pakistan, Abu Dhabi, Dec 2018
20) 200* v Bangladesh, Hamilton, Feb 2019
21) 104* v England, Hamilton, Nov 2019
22) 251 v West Indies, Hamilton, Dec 2020
23) 129 v Pakistan, Mount Maunganui, Dec 2020
24) 238 v Pakistan, Christchurch, Jan 2021
25) 200* v Pakistan, Karachi, Dec 2022
26) 132 v England, Wellington, Feb 2023,
27) 121* v Sri Lanka, Christchurch, Mar 2023
28) 215 v Sri Lanka, Wellington, Mar 2023
29) 104 v Bangladesh, Sylhet, Nov 2023
30) 118 v South Africa, Mount Maunganui, Feb 2024
31) 109 v South Africa, Mount Maunganui, Feb 2024
32) 133* v South Africa, Hamilton, Feb 2024
33) 156 v England, Hamilton, Dec 2024
Most test centuries for New Zealand
Kane Williamson 33
Ross Taylor 19
Martin Crowe 17
Tom Latham 13
John Wright 12
Brendon McCullum 12
Nathan Astle 11
Henry Nicholls 9
Stephen Fleming 9
Most test centuries
Sachin Tendulkar 51
Jacques Kallis 45
Ricky Ponting 41
Kumar Sangakkara 38
Joe Root 36
Rahul Dravid 36
Younis Khan 34
Sunil Gavaskar 34
Brian Lara 34
Mahela Jayawardene 34
Kane Williamson 33
Steve Smith 33
Alastair Cook 33
Steve Waugh 32
