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Lahore, February 10 – Kane Williamson ended his nearly six-year wait for an ODI century in style, smashing an unbeaten 133 off 113 balls against South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium. His stellar knock helped New Zealand chase down 305 with ease, securing a six-wicket win with eight balls to spare and booking a spot in the tri-series final.
The former New Zealand captain blazed through his century in just 72 balls, making it the second-fastest ODI ton of his career. His innings included 13 boundaries and two sixes, cementing his place as one of cricket’s modern greats.
Williamson Surpasses Virat Kohli in Elite Batting List
By scoring the winning boundary, Williamson reached 7,000 ODI runs, becoming just the fifth New Zealand player to achieve the milestone after Ross Taylor, Stephen Fleming, Martin Guptill, and Nathan Astle.
Fastest Players to Reach 7,000 ODI Runs:
| Player | Innings |
|---|---|
| Hashim Amla | 151 |
| Kane Williamson | 159 |
| Virat Kohli | 161 |
| AB de Villiers | 166 |
| Sourav Ganguly | 174 |
| Rohit Sharma | 181 |
Williamson now holds the record as the second-fastest player in history to reach this milestone, surpassing Virat Kohli’s 161 innings and trailing only Hashim Amla’s 151 innings.
Among New Zealand players, Williamson shattered Martin Guptill’s record (185 innings) to become the fastest Kiwi batsman to reach 7,000 runs, comfortably leaving behind:
- Ross Taylor (189 innings)
- Nathan Astle (212 innings)
- Stephen Fleming (237 innings)
Match Recap: New Zealand’s Chase Dominated by Williamson & Conway
South Africa set a competitive total of 304, powered by debutant Matthew Breetzke’s world-record 150. In response, Williamson and Devon Conway (97) put up a match-winning 187-run stand for the second wicket, taking the game away from the Proteas.
New Zealand’s Tri-Series Journey So Far:
Beat Pakistan in tournament opener (February 8)
Defeated South Africa to qualify for the final
South Africa vs Pakistan next – a virtual semi-final
With Williamson back in top form, New Zealand now awaits the winner of South Africa vs Pakistan for the tri-series final.
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