3: 115: v England, Manchester, June 1994
The last of Crowe's 17 and put this down as an innings loaded with courage. By this time he was effectively batting on one leg. He spent five and a half hours at the crease, faced 237 balls with 15 fours. New Zealand were in trouble, following on 231 runs behind, but Crowe made the match safe. There were to be seven more tests but this was Crowe's final masterpiece.
Ross Taylor, Martin Crowe or Kane Williamson - who is New Zealand's greatest test batsman?
Kane Williamson:
1: 102 not out: v South Africa, Wellington, March 2012
Had it not been for Williamson's performance this test would have been lost. He came in with New Zealand, needing an improbable 389 to win, at two for one and walked off to a standing ovation five and a half hours later. Williamson took a painful blow in the most tender of places from Dale Steyn but fought on and earned a fabulous reward.
2: 140: v Australia, Brisbane, November 2015
In here for the impact it had on an Australian press box, who generally peer into their racing form guides when New Zealanders are batting. This time they sat up, murmuring their approval and more than one ''Jeez look at that'' as Williamson found the boundary 24 times against a quality attack of Starc, Johnson and Hazlewood. Terrific innings. New Zealand lost by 208 runs but remembering Australians only really rate batsmen who score big against them, this had real impact in terms of the way Williamson is viewed across the Tasman. ''This bloke can play'' said one experienced Australian watcher. That's high praise indeed.
3: 108 not out: v Sri Lanka, Hamilton, December 2015
Maybe an odd one for some but this was the test both bowling attacks decided to pitch damn near everything halfway down the pitch leading to some extraordinary periods and field placings. Not a great watch but Williamson came in at 11 for two, New Zealand chasing 189. Williamson coped with an oddly-paced pitch expertly, scoring 108 not out of 185 while he was at the crease and calmed New Zealand nerves. Only one other batsman, Martin Guptill, got to 50 in the match. This could easily have gone pear-shaped for New Zealand but for Williamson's skill.
Ross Taylor:
1: 120 v England, Hamilton, March 2008Taylor has talked of the importance of this innings. He'd played two test in South Africa, and struggled, was dropped for the subsequent visit of Bangladesh before being recalled. This century told him that, yes, he did belong, he could foot it with the big boys. Taylor batted almost five and a half hours, struck 18 fours in an innings which announced him as a true test batsman. Hard to overstate the importance of the innings in what has followed in the last nine years.
2: 290 v Australia, Perth November 2015
Look at the number. The pitch at the Waca was a road but still any time you get that high it's special. Last man out too, 10 runs short of becoming the second player to 300 for New Zealand, after Brendon McCullum a year earlier. He hit the fence 43 times, batted nine and a half hours and it was against Australia, which matters to New Zealanders.
3: 142 v Sri Lanka, Colombo, November 2012
A tight call. His 154 at Manchester in 2008 is a contender, as is 131 against Sunil Narine in Hamilton in 2013. But this proved to be Taylor's last test as captain and what surely must have been a difficult time. It might, therefore, contain an element of 'stuff you lot' about it. Taylor shared a 262-run stand with Williamson to set up New Zealand's first innings, he made another brisk 74 in the second innings, the bowlers did their part and New Zealand won by a whopping 167 runs. Taylor batted six and a half hours in the sapping heat and should always reflect on a performance to savour.
