Sachin Tendulkar to Kane Williamson: Full list of batters with 30 or more Test hundreds
Senior New Zealand batter Kane Williamson scored an impressive hundred on Day 1 of the first Test against South Africa at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Sunday, February 4. The former Kiwi Test skipper scored 112* off 259 balls, a well-constructed innings featuring 15 fours.
After South Africa won the toss and chose to bowl first, they got off to a good start as Tshepo Moreki trapped Devon Conway leg before for 1. Tom Latham then fell to Dane Paterson for 20 off 48 balls.
At 39/2, the hosts were in a spot of bother. However, Williamson combined with Rachin Ravindra (118* off 211) to lift the Kiwis, adding an unbroken 219 at stumps for the third wicket as New Zealand finished the day on 258/2.
Williamson’s hundred was his 30th in the Test format, making him the first New Zealander to reach the milestone.
Williamson joints elite list of batters with 30th Test ton
Overall, Williamson is the 16th player with 30 or more Test hundreds. With his knock on Sunday in Mount Maunganui in his 97th Test, the 33-year-old went past the legendary Sir Donald Bradman and Virat Kohli on the list of batters with most Test tons. While Bradman scored 29 Test tons in 52 matches, Kohli has 29 hundreds in 113 matches.
Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar leads the list of batters with the most Test centuries. He smashed 51 in 200 matches and remains the only batter with more than 50 tons in the format. Tendulkar is followed by former South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis, who notched up 45 hundreds in 166 matches. Aussie batting great Ricky Ponting is third with 41 Test centuries from 168 games.
Sri Lanka’s former keeper-batter Kumar Sangakkara is at No. 4 on the list with 38 hundreds from 134 matches, while Team India’s current head coach Rahul Dravid (36 hundreds from 164 matches) completes the top five on the illustrious list.
Younis Khan (Pakistan), Sunil Gavaskar (India), Brian Lara (West Indies) and Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) have 34 Test tons each to their names, while former England captain Alastair Cook finished his Test career with 33 hundreds from 161 Test matches.
Steve Smith, who has played 107 Tests, has 32 centuries to his name, while Aussie legend Steve Waugh also scored as many in 168 matches. As of now, Williamson is level with Matthew Hayden, Joe Root and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, all of whom have 30 Test tons each - Root being the only active cricketer among the three.