2nd Test: New Zealand v Sri Lanka at Hamilton on Dec 18-22, 2015

[Meth]

Given the match situation, this hundred has to be up there with his best so far. Fourth innings unbeaten hundred to win a tricky Test match, as everyone around him had been losing their heads.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/520605.html

My favourite

 

[JJ]

Yeah he'd be nailed on for those honours. Been very impressive throughout the year. One double-ton, four centuries and a half dozen 50's. Not as many runs as Warner or Smith, but at an average of a shade over 90 and Warner's tons only coming at home and Smith only scoring above 50 twice since England it's pretty well confirmed I think.

Yep - and everyone with more runs than him has played 4 or 5 more tests already.

Nice young fella too (given that seems to annoy so many here :lol

 

[JJ]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/520605.html

My favourite

Yep, special innings that...

 

[hineyrulz]

No doubt about it Williamson is the best bat in the world ATM.

 

[ANTiLAG]

100 for Williamson, what a player, what a year - in test cricket he's been easily the best batsman in the world in 2015

Yeah, he became international cricketing property this year.

I've had a look at Warner, Root, De VIlliers, Cook, Kohli, Khan, Ul Haq, Smith's years and he has comfortably dusted them all. De Villiers had to play on shocking wickets in India, though and he only played 5 tests this year, where 4 of them were in India.

Great player.

Keeps this up, he will challenge Hadlee for NZ's greatest.

http://www.icc-cricket.com/player-rankings/overview

 

[JJ]

Ranked #1 now

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricke...on-climbs-to-top-of-icc-test-batting-rankings

and #3 in odis

 

[Iafeta]

Great innings from a truly great player. First NZ bat to be rated #1 in test cricket since Glenn Turner I believe, hell of an achievement. I was reading how he said he put the hook away in this innings, can't believe so many others couldn't change their game plan as effectively as he did and still tried it on.

 

[African Monkey]

Great character shown by us to get home in a tricky test against a determined but inexperienced Sri Lankan side. Beating us in a test at home is like Floyd Mayweather Jr losing a boxing fight - it just doesn't happen.

 

[ANTiLAG]

Great innings from a truly great player. First NZ bat to be rated #1 in test cricket since Glenn Turner I believe, hell of an achievement. I was reading how he said he put the hook away in this innings, can't believe so many others couldn't change their game plan as effectively as he did and still tried it on.

There was one hook shot today with the game all but in the bag with single digit runs to get. I think he already had his ton at that point. But yeah, he had put away the hook and was pulling anything shoulder height or below.

Like the true greats, he thinks about his game and is disciplined. Steve Waugh realised the hook shot was a weak shot in terms of runs gained for dismissals. Stopped playing it. Became one of the greatest batsmen ever. Mark Waugh was supposedly more talented than Steve, but could never put away his get out shots and have a pretty average test record averaging 41.81.

Its not just talent which he has in spades - just look at his fielding to show some crazy hand eye and athletic ability, its his thinking on how to bat time, score more runs and not get out and then successfully implementing that thought that may require discipline to break the normal instinct.

I remember early in his career when the axe was over his head in pyjama cricket for batting too slow and not having a power game. The concern was not to ruin his technical talent by learning and playing unorthodox shots and slogging.

However, he upped his SR without slogging boundaries. He got his SR from 70 to 88, not solely by hitting more boundaries which were still straight from the Wisden textbook on cricket, but more so he just found a lot more singles and twos. He SR went through the roof in a way comparable only to Amla. Then in the last couple of years or so from 2014, he developed a power game of finding and clearing the straight boundary at will. This year his SR was in the 90's while averaging 67.60. His pull shot is pulled straight into the ground. Punter would be proud of some the scorching pull shots he unleashes. He has a back foot drive through the offside that looks like Tendulkar. Its just so elegant while so very effective. Needs a prettier and longer pose on his cover drive to win over fan boys, though.

This kid is never content - well not so far displayed. He is rapacious for runs. Its brilliant for NZ cricket fans that we finally have one of our own global cricket superstars again. But McCullum's nick name for him is terrible.

He appears that he loves to bowl. He shows far more enthusiasm in appealing and celebrating wickets than celebrating a 100. I'd be tempted to bowl him a bit more just on the skill he displays.

 

[Tommy Smith]

Tremendous innings.

This kid is no flat track bully. He has the potential to be an all-time great - in the pantheon with the likes of other modern greats such as Ponting, Lara, Sachin, Dravid, Sanga and Kallis.

 

[simmo1]

Yeah Williamson's definitely got the potential to be one of the greats - moreso than the likes of Smith, Root and Kohli. Scores runs in all conditions, under all circumstances and without any noticeable flaws.

 

[ANTiLAG]

Yeah Williamson's definitely got the potential to be one of the greats - moreso than the likes of Smith, Root and Kohli. Scores runs in all conditions, under all circumstances and without any noticeable flaws.

I wouldn't dismiss Root so swiftly.

Root has not had the chance to tour that much since making massive home runs. Just Pakistan and Windies - and he did more than alright on those two tours. Maybe not done enough to confirm his play against fierce spin, but 3 50's in the UAE against Barbar and 2 against Yasir Shah.

The bigger issue for Root is batting position. The team needs him to bat higher in the order because England are very short on batsmen and heavy on all rounders. Bell is woefully out of form, and Taylor is being blooded. I'm not sure how much longer Root can hide down at 5 and 4. The team needs him to man up and bat 3. But that could well reduce his batting average. Will increase his innings per match, however.

Also, Warner seems pretty intent on catching up to the "awesome foursome" even if he's a couple of years older. But he is still to prove himself in conditions where the ball moves bar a little bit of South African nibble. I reckon he could get his average ahead of Smith's in the next few years.

 

[JJ]

The old adage was if you needed someone to bat for your life, in any conditions against any attack, that man would be Allan Border.

Border recently said the same thing about Kane Williamson, and I agree - the only other player in that discussion would be AB de Villiers - and while Williamson is ranked #1 as a test bat, he's IMO the second best bat in the world behind de Villiers, who is a remarkable talent - although I think the difference is closer than it was - Williamson bats 3 in a shaky lineup, de Villiers bats lower in a stronger, albeit still shaky lineup...

Strange times really, we have some great bats around (e.g., de Villiers, Amla, Younis, perhaps Cook), some likely future greats (Williamson, Smith, Root), others who are very good (Misbah, Warner, Kohli, Bravo, du Plessis, Taylor etc) - yet every lineup is fragile (the Africans largely because of geniused selections, I think, but the rest of us are vulnerable

 

[ANTiLAG]

The old adage was if you needed someone to bat for your life, in any conditions against any attack, that man would be Allan Border.

Border recently said the same thing about Kane Williamson, and I agree - the only other player in that discussion would be AB de Villiers - and while Williamson is ranked #1 as a test bat, he's IMO the second best bat in the world behind de Villiers, who is a remarkable talent - although I think the difference is closer than it was - Williamson bats 3 in a shaky lineup, de Villiers bats lower in a stronger, albeit still shaky lineup...

Strange times really, we have some great bats around (e.g., de Villiers, Amla, Younis, perhaps Cook), some likely future greats (Williamson, Smith, Root), others who are very good (Misbah, Warner, Kohli, Bravo, du Plessis, Taylor etc) - yet every lineup is fragile (the Africans largely because of geniused selections, I think, but the rest of us are vulnerable

Allan Border is an international treasure to cricket. I watched that interview on Inside Cricket.

Yeah, I think there is a merit to the argument to say that ABDV is still number 1, and that Kane is just topping the form guide for 2015. ABDV had 5 tests, 4 of which were in India on some fairly doctored pitches. This argument, while meritorious, does not explain why Younis Khan, a pinnacle of consistency is continually underrated. What is very interesting, is that both Kane and ABDV are in the top 3 for test and ODI.

We get to see ABDV and KW home and away next year on the same pitches albeit one has to face Rabada, Philander, Morkel and Steyn.

I think du Plessis is overrated and had a rather fortunate start to his career with those famous knocks in Australia. Watch him continue to slide down from a great career start. Cook and Younis are completely underrated (not by you). Also, I think Warner may outperform Smith in the next few years and become a future great.

 

[Pete Cash]

Root was offbalance a lot down here and he drives on the up almost compulsively. Hes obviously a good bat but he needs to really prove himself on hard wickets. Its his first crack against the rsa but he will want to do business down here

 

[Pete Cash]

Teams are vulnerable because they dont spend enough time touring imo. Very little meaningful warmup games are played so sides get pants in the first test on foreign conditions and there is very little chance of a comeback.

Like england didnt give australia warm up games in the north so when we got to more english conditions it might as well have been the moon.

 

[JJ]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11564843

McCullum has announced he's retiring from all international cricket at the end of the home summer.

Be interesting to see how he's remembered, a fine keeper bat, an ok bat alone, and imo a very very good captain - yes, he's screwed up a lot, but the culture of our team has improved immeasurably under he and Hesson...

Lots of good memories, and while I'd prefer to watch Kane bat, no doubt McCullum's approach compelled many kids in NZ to engage with this great sport

 

[Iafeta]

Two double hundreds and a triple century. That's pretty handy. Most consecutive tests. And an outstanding wicket keeper. Given a lot of his career he was a specialist keeper, his record is nonetheless quite good. Also a fine captain. For a bloke with serious back issues, I think his legacy is not only raw aggression but tenacity in the face of adversity. Big shoes to fill IMO.

 

[ANTiLAG]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11564843

McCullum has announced he's retiring from all international cricket at the end of the home summer.

Be interesting to see how he's remembered, a fine keeper bat, an ok bat alone, and imo a very very good captain - yes, he's screwed up a lot, but the culture of our team has improved immeasurably under he and Hesson...

Lots of good memories, and while I'd prefer to watch Kane bat, no doubt McCullum's approach compelled many kids in NZ to engage with this great sport

His legacy as a batsman will be determined by the Australian series coming up. NZs second best keeper bat to BJ in tests and best pyjama keeper. As a captain, bit of a Coney, as successful as anyone could hope with the cattle but with a dash of controversy with a senior player but too brief a period to challenge the fondly established memories of Flem and Howarth. Bar Lords I liked his captaincy and proud of making our home world cup final.

 

[ANTiLAG]

Two double hundreds and a triple century. That's pretty handy. Most consecutive tests. And an outstanding wicket keeper. Given a lot of his career he was a specialist keeper, his record is nonetheless quite good. Also a fine captain. For a bloke with serious back issues, I think his legacy is not only raw aggression but tenacity in the face of adversity. Big shoes to fill IMO.

Three doubles. India 2010 as opener, India in NZ 2014 (and a tripple) and Pakistan in UAE 2014. That Pakistan seam attack was ordinary. No Riaz, J Khan, I Khan, Amir, Asif or even Irfan. It was Rahat Ali (ordinary at best, I think he's useless) and Mo Talha (useless no name). Yasir Shah and Zulfiqur Barbar played, though. He was brutal on them. Rained 6s. Had his problems with getting out to seamers with his aggression, but less so with spinners. Just hit them off their length to bowling defensive darts or out of the attack.