It was a night to remember for Kane Williamson at the Gaddafi Stadium as he etched his name in the history books with a unique milestone against South Africa. The former New Zealand skipper not only became his nation’s leading run-scorer in the Champions Trophy but also became the first Kiwi batter to surpass 19,000 international runs.

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In the second semi-final of the ongoing Champions Trophy, Williamson rediscovered his form with a scintillating century against South Africa, reaffirming his status as one of the ‘Fab Four.’ After a few quiet outings with the bat, he roared back to life, crafting a brilliant 102 off 94 balls, laced with ten boundaries and two towering sixes.

With Rachin Ravindra anchoring the innings at the other end, Williamson capitalised on the benign surface at Gaddafi Stadium. His elegant stroke play and impeccable technique saw him reach his third consecutive ODI century against South Africa—making him the first New Zealand batter to achieve the feat and the first-ever player to score three successive tons against the Proteas.

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Williamson’s dominance against South Africa dates back to 2019 in Birmingham, where he struck an unbeaten 106. He followed it up with an unbeaten 133 in Lahore during the ODI tri-series leading up to this tournament. On Wednesday, he returned to the same venue to complete the hat-trick in a high-stakes clash.

So far in the Champions Trophy, Williamson has amassed 189 runs at an average of 47.25, including one century and a fifty. Across ten matches in the tournament’s history, he has accumulated 534 runs at a stellar average of 59.33, including two centuries and four fifties—making him New Zealand’s all-time leading scorer in the competition.

Kane adds another feather to cap

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Adding another milestone to his illustrious career, Williamson became the first New Zealand batter to breach the 19,000-run mark in international cricket. Across 370 matches in all formats, he has now amassed 19,075 runs at an impressive average of 48.66, featuring 48 centuries and 102 half-centuries.

While Williamson put on a masterclass in batting, Rachin Ravindra matched his brilliance with his second century of the tournament. The duo replicated the historic feat of Indian legends Virender Sehwag and Sourav Ganguly in the 2002 Champions Trophy, becoming only the sixth pair to score multiple centuries in the tournament’s history.

Notably, New Zealand’s Will Young and Tom Latham had also achieved this rare milestone earlier in the tournament, further highlighting the Kiwis’ dominance with the bat.

(With inputs from agencies)