Kane Williamson’s first ball duck marked a disappointing return to international cricket as New Zealand faced England in the first ODI.
The match was played on Sunday at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand.
The match saw contrasting stories, Williamson’s rare failure and Harry Brook’s record breaking innings, before New Zealand claimed a comfortable victory.
Williamson’s dismissal on the very first ball joined him with Sir Richard Hadlee on the list of most ducks against England by a New Zealand player.
Remarkably, this was the first time in Williamson’s ODI career that he was dismissed on the very first delivery against any opposition.
There has been ongoing discussion in cricketing circles about the “Fab Four” Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, and Joe Root, the most consistent modern day batters across formats.
Interestingly, Virat Kohli also recorded a duck in his first international innings after returning from a break following the ICC Champions Trophy, just as Williamson did here.
It highlights how the Fab Four rivalry isn’t always about runs and milestones but also about these unexpected twists.
According to ESPNcricinfo, these are some of the New Zealand players with the most ducks in ODIs:
- EJ Chatfield – 7
- RO Collinge – 7
- Matt Henry – 7
- RW Blair – 6
- BE Congdon – 6
- KR Rutherford – 6
- JG Wright – 6
- Sir Richard Hadlee – 5
- Adam Parore – 5
- Tim Southee – 5
- Kane Williamson – 5
Harry Brook’s Record Breaking Innings Highlights England’s Effort
While Kane Williamson’s first ball duck grabbed early attention, the standout performance came from Harry Brook, who produced a record breaking innings for England.
Batting first, England slipped to 5 for 3, then 10 for 4, after a fiery new all spell from Zakary Foulkes.
Brook held his nerve, anchoring the innings while launching a counterattack that thrilled the Bay Oval crowd.
He smashed 135 runs off just 101 balls, hitting 11 sixes and 9 fours, helping England reach a competitive total of 223 runs.
Despite his brilliance, New Zealand chased down the target comfortably, powered by Daryl Mitchell’s unbeaten 78 off 91 balls and Foulkes’ 4 for 41, sealing victory in just 36.4 overs.
Kane Williamson’s first ball duck may have been an unusual for New Zealand’s star batter, but it did little to affect his team’s dominance.
Meanwhile, Harry Brook’s record breaking innings ensured the match remained memorable for both fan bases: one for redemption, and the other for resilience.
