Kane Williamson can hit rare cricket feat in Bangladesh first test

Kane Williamson celebrates a century against Sri Lanka. Photo / photosport.nz

It may have been lost among a devastating knee injury and his remarkable recovery to lead another strong ODI World Cup campaign but Kane Williamson has a chance to achieve a rare feat when he heads out to bat against Bangladesh in Sylhet.

The former New Zealand skipper goes into the Black Caps’ first innings having scored a century in his last three tests on the back of a great run of form at the end of last summer. His last innings in test whites was 215 against Sri Lanka in March at the Basin Reserve as part of a 363-run partnership with Henry Nicholls which helped set up an innings and 58-run victory. That was on the back on 121 not out in the first test against Sri Lanka in Christchurch and 132 against England in February.

For the first time in his career, Williamson could raise his bat for a fourth straight test and would become the first New Zealand man to do so.

Australian legend Don Bradman is the only player in test history to score a century in six straight tests, all against England across 1937 and 1938. Jaques Kallis, Mohammad Yousuf and Gautam Gambhir achieved a century in five straight tests. Williamson would become the 16th man to do it in four straight tests if he reaches three figures in Sylhet.

Williamson currently sits on 28 test hundreds - one more would see him join Virat Kohli and Bradman in 16th on the all-time list. Two more and he would tie with Matthew Hayden, Joe Root and Shivnarine Chanderpaul as 13th all-time.

The 33-year-old has 8124 career runs and sits 32nd on the all-time list (next is England duo Kevin Pietersen 8181 and David Gower 8231),

Williamson could also become the second New Zealander since Andrew Jones to score three successive hundreds. Jones scored 186, 122 and 100* against Sri Lanka in 1991. Everton Weekes is the only man to score five straight tons.

Other potential test milestones this summer

Test matches

The first test in Bangladesh is the 95th test appearance for both Williamson and Tim Southee. They would need to play all six tests across the summer to reach 100 for the second test against Australia in Christchurch. Seventy-five players in test history have made 100 appearances, including four Kiwis - Daniel Vettori (112), Ross Taylor (112), Stephen Fleming (11) and Brendon McCullum (101).

Tom Latham is playing in his 75th consecutive test, the New Zealand record is 101 by McCullum.

Batting

Latham (5150 runs) is 184 runs shy of John Wright (sixth all-time for New Zealand).

Nicholls needs 52 runs to become the 16th New Zealander to reach 3000 runs.

Tim Southee needs 24 runs to reach 2000 test runs. He would be just the fourth man in test cricket to do so without scoring a century.

Southee is one six behind Vivian Richards (84) to move into ninth on the all-time list for sixes, and four behind Chris Cairns (87).

Bowling

Southee has 370 test wickets - three shy of Waqar Younis (21st overall) and six behind Malcolm Marshall (20th).

In the first innings in Sylhet, Ajaz Patel became the 40th New Zealander to take 50 test wickets.

Listen to ball-by-ball commentary of every home Black Caps match this summer live and free on iHeart Radio with The Alternative Commentary Collective.