NZ vs ENG, 1st Test: Williamson guided NZ to end day's play on a decent total

The backbone of the Blackcaps' batting, Kane Williamson, made his return from injury. The 34-year-old right-handed batter had been away from cricket for two months, but he didn’t show any signs of rustiness in his innings during the Christchurch Test against England – the first match of the three-match Test series at home. Williamson continued to maintain his excellent Test record at home, even against the visiting England side. He played with the same composure and skill that had been on display during the home Test series against South Africa before his injury.

The former Kiwi skipper, who scored three centuries in the home Test series against the Proteas, came close to scoring another century against England. However, he fell short, dismissed on the score of 93 runs off 197 balls, including 10 boundaries, by Atkinson and he missed his well-deserved hundred by 7 runs.

Although there was some regret about missing out on this personal milestone, The Tauranga-born Williamson won the hearts of cricket fans with his performance. The Kiwi fans were particularly pleased to see that, despite his time away from the game due to injury, his batting had not been affected.

Williamson had sustained an injury during the Test series in Sri Lanka, which kept him out of the Test series against India in October. After fully recovering, he made a successful comeback against England, showcasing his skill in the very first innings of the series. By the end of the first day's play, New Zealand had scored 319 runs, losing 8 wickets.