Kane Williamson, the star batter from New Zealand who had made a remarkable comeback in Test cricket, fell victim to an uncharacteristic brain-fade dismissal on Day 1 of the third Test against England at Seddon Park, Hamilton.
In a bizarre moment, Williamson kicked the ball towards the stumps, resulting in his dismissal in a way that was far from his usual composed style.
New Zealand had started the day strongly with a solid 105-run partnership between Will Young (42) and captain Tom Latham (63), who had put the English bowlers under pressure. Williamson, coming in at number 3, looked in good touch but fell for 44 off 87 balls, just short of a half-century.
English pacer Matthew Potts bowled a full-length delivery that initially deflected off Williamson’s pad and then off his thigh pad towards the stumps. In a reflexive attempt to block the ball, Williamson inadvertently kicked the stumps, handing Potts a gift of a wicket.
Visibly frustrated, Kane Williamson walked off, leaving his team in a precarious position as New Zealand’s wickets fell quickly in succession. However, Mitchell Santner countered with a rapid half-century, leading the recovery alongside Tim Southee, who contributed 23 runs. As expected, Will Young replaced Devon Conway, who is on paternity leave, and once again proved his worth.
Matthew Potts, who had dismissed Williamson, claimed two more wickets, removing Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips (5). Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse continued their strong performances from the second Test, taking three and two wickets, respectively.
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Ben Stokes also picked up a wicket, dismissing Matt Henry. New Zealand, batting first, has managed to score 315 runs so far, losing 9 wickets. It’s worth noting that England had already secured the series by winning the first two Test matches.