5 records broken in New Zealand vs South Africa Test series
Kane Williamson's run spree propelled New Zealand to a dominant 2-0 Test series sweep of South Africa at home. After crushing the visitors by 281 runs in the first Test at Mount Maunganui, New Zealand sealed the whitewash with a clinical seven-wicket victory in Hamilton.
Unlike the lopsided first Test, the second game was a closely fought contest. South Africa clawed their way to a slender 31-run first-innings lead before David Bedingham's magnificent century (110) set New Zealand a target of 267.
Chasing under pressure, the Kiwis lost both openers cheaply. However, the in-form Williamson (133*) once again rose to the occasion, anchoring the chase with a superb century. He received valuable support from Will Young (60*) as New Zealand secured a comfortable victory on Day 4.
Even before the series began, the topic of South Africa's team selection sparked debate among cricket fans. Due to a scheduling clash with the SA20 2024, the Proteas fielded a team dominated by inexperienced players. As many as seven uncapped players made their Test debuts for South Africa across the two games.
Despite the youthfulness of the South African squad, the two-match series proved to be entertaining. New Zealand showcased their overall strength with dominant performances with both bat and ball. The recently concluded series also saw several impressive records broken.
Here are five of the most notable feats achieved during the series:
#5 Best match bowling figures for New Zealand on Test debut
New Zealand handed a Test debut to only one player in the series and that was William ORourke, a tall right-arm pacer, born in England.
The 22-year-old made an instant impact and impressed everyone with his lethal and quick deliveries. ORourke claimed four wickets in the first innings before bagging his maiden five-wicket haul in the second innings.
He finished the second Test with match figures of 9/93, which is now the best bowling figures for New Zealand on debut in Test cricket. ORourke broke Mark Craig's record, who took 8/188 on his Test debut against the West Indies in Kingston in 2014.
#4 Fastest to 32 Test hunderds (in innings)
Kane Williamson won the Player of the Series award for his humungous run tally throughout the series. The former New Zealand skipper accumulated 403 runs at an outstanding average of 134.33 across four innings. He racked up three centuries as well, bringing his Test career tally to 32 centuries.
Williamson is now the fastest player ever to complete 32 Test centuries in terms of innings, reaching the milestone in 172 innings (previously held by Steve Smith at 174 innings).
Moreover, Williamson now joins Smith as the two players with the joint-most Test centuries (32) among active players as well.
#3 Highest scores for New Zealand while scoring a Test century for the first time
While Williamson amassed plenty of runs, the highest individual score in the series came from Rachin Ravindra's bat. In the first innings of the opening Test, the southpaw hammered 240 runs in 366 balls.
Playing only his fourth Test, it was Rachin's maiden red-ball hundred. His score of 240 was the highest individual score while reaching a Test century for the very first time for New Zealand.
The 24-year-old broke Matthew Sinclair's record. Sinclair scored 214 in his debut game against the West Indies in Wellington in 1999.
#2 Joint-most hundreds in fourth innings of Tests
With a display of characteristic composure, Kane Williamson orchestrated a historic victory for New Zealand in the fourth innings against South Africa in Hamilton.
His match-winning hundred not only secured a series triumph but also cemented his place as one of the most prolific run-chasers in Test history.
Williamson now shares the coveted title of most centuries (5) in the fourth innings with Younis Khan. This milestone speaks volumes about his ability to excel under pressure while setting an example for his team.
Williamson has batted 26 times in the fourth innings in Tests, mustering 1040 runs at an average of 57.77. While Younis Khan of Pakistan played 40 innings for 1465 runs at an average of 50.51.
#1 New Zealand's first-ever Test series win vs South Africa
Before this two-match Test series, South Africa had a dominating head-to-head record against New Zealand. Across 47 Tests before the latest series, South Africa defeated 26 times to New Zealand's only five wins in the format.
The two teams played the first-ever Test match against each other way back in 1932. However, after a wait of nearly 92 years, New Zealand have finally recorded their maiden Test series win over the Proteas.
The Kiwis are currently enjoying an unbeaten run in Tests at home, having lost their last Test series in New Zealand in 2016.