Stats: Kane Williamson becomes fastest New Zealand batsman to 3000 ODI runs
Kane Williamson became the fastest New Zealand batsman and the fifth fastest ever to reach the landmark of 3000 ODI runs, during the course of his knock of 90 from 70 balls against England in the fourth One-Day International (ODI) at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, on Wednesday. Williamson’s innings helped the Black Caps post an imposing 349 for 7, but it was nowhere near enough as England cruised to victory with 6 overs to spare.
Coming in to bat at 88 for 1, Williamson took full advantage of the solid platform that was laid by the opening pair of Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill. Without ever breaking sweat, he managed to score at well over run-a-ball and racked up a partnership of 101 runs off around 16 overs with Ross Taylor.
Just as he was inching towards what would have been his eighth ODI century, however, he lost concentration and holed out to Adil Rashid at mid-on off the bowling of David Willey. His splendid effort, unfortunately, went in vain, as Eoin Morgan and Joe Root smashed centuries to help England pull off their highest ever successful run chase in ODI history.
While Williamson, courtesy of his innings, reached the landmark of 3000 ODI runs in just 73 innings, he is still some way short of South Africa’s Hashim Amla, who is the fastest having got there in merely 57 innings. Nathan Astle was the previous fastest among New Zealand players, having reached the milestone of 3000 ODI runs in 93 innings.
Top 10 fastest batsmen to 3000 ODI runs
| Rank | Player | Country | Innings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hashim Amla | SA | 57 |
| 2 | Vivian Richards | WI | 69 |
| 3 | Gordon Greenidge | WI | 72 |
| 4 | Gary Kirsten | SA | 72 |
| 5 | Kane Williamson | NZ | 73 |
| 6 | Virat Kohli | IND | 75 |
| 7 | Graham Gooch | ENG | 76 |
| 8 | Kevin Pietersen | ENG | 78 |
| 9 | Navjot Singh Sidhu | IND | 79 |
| 10 | Brian Lara | WI | 79 |
*Stats updated till June 18, 2015