Kane Williamson, a veteran batsman from New Zealand, was recalled to the ODI team for the first time since the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025, in a similar fashion to former Indian batting great Virat Kohli. Still, unfortunately for Williamson, he was dismissed for a duck in his first match back against England.
England is touring New Zealand, and following a rain-affected T20 International match where the visiting side emerged victorious and claimed the early bragging rights, the New Zealand team will miss Glenn Phillips for the three-match ODI leg, as he cannot play due to injury. However, they were able to get their leading experienced star, Kane Williamson, back for the first time since March 2025 after the ICC Championship Trophy final against India in Dubai.
But, unlike that of Virat Kohli from Indian cricket, who took early retirement from specific formats of the game, Kane Williamson has not taken retirement from any formats. He continues to play across all formats, but he was awarded a central contract, which allowed Williamson to play the games he wanted to play.
Williamson has not indicated whether he will participate in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 and ICC World Cup 2027 to be played in India and South Africa, respectively. So, in these conditions, he made his long-awaited return to international cricket, but it didn’t result in a prolonged farewell for New Zealand supporters.
As soon as he resumed his usual position at No. 3 in the ODI batting order, Williamson was dismissed for a duck, with Brydon Carse catching him out on the very first ball of his innings. This must have been a tense moment for Carse, who was now on a hat-trick, but Darryl Mitchell could bead of sweat on the third delivery.
Williamson’s dismissal drew comparisons to Indian icon Virat Kohli, who was dismissed for a duck just a week earlier in Perth in his return match against Australia.
Harry Brook Shines with a Fabulous Century in First ODI
The pitch on the day at Mount Maunganui didn’t appear to be a batting paradise as both batsmen from England and New Zealand struggled to score runs easily. It seemed a world away from some of New Zealand’s flattest pitches.
England found themselves in serious trouble after they lost six wickets within a short stretch of time, with no batsman scoring double digits. Like Kane Williamson, Joe Root, and Jos Buttler, both seasoned, experienced players, they batted and got out cheaply.
However, England’s new captain, Harry Brook, was batting as if he was on an entirely different pitch. He fell into his stroke against New Zealand’s bowlers, taking command and smacking the ball around the entire ground. He blasted a wonderful knock of 135 from just 101 balls, accompanied down the order by Jamie Overton.
News You Must Read: England vs New Zealand
Brydon Carse Dismantles New Zealand’s Batting Order
Thanks to Brook’s dazzling century, England had climbed beyond 200 runs and set New Zealand 224 to chase, Brook falling as the last wicket to Mitchell Santner’s delivery, New Zealand’s captain.
New Zealand’s batsman had all sorts of trouble against Brydon Carse, who got off to a horrendous start with the new ball. He removed Will Young, Kane Williamson, and then Tom Latham, leaving New Zealand with four wickets down before they had gotten to 100 runs!
