Last month at Trent Bridge, Williams got close with a promising innings of 88 against England but fell short of a hundred. However, the experienced Zimbabwean batsman didn’t have to wait long for another chance. In the very next innings, he reached the milestone.
On the second day of the first Test against South Africa in Bulawayo, Williams scored a century. He made 137 runs out of Zimbabwe’s total 251 in the first innings, facing 164 balls and hitting 16 fours.
This marks Williams’ sixth Test century. He now jointly holds the record for the second-most Test centuries for Zimbabwe alongside Grant Flower and Brendan Taylor.
Grant Flower scored 6 centuries in 67 Tests, while Taylor achieved the same in just 34 Tests. Williams has matched them in only 21 matches.
At the top of the list is Grant’s older brother, Andy Flower, Zimbabwe’s most successful Test and ODI batsman, with 12 centuries in 63 Tests.
Williams ended a nine-innings century drought with this innings. His previous best was 154 against Afghanistan, also in Bulawayo last December.
Williams made his Test debut in 2013, and half of his six centuries have come against Afghanistan, with one each against Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and South Africa.
After Zimbabwe lost two early wickets, Williams came to the crease at number four in the fifth over. Opener Brian Bennett was forced to leave the field after a helmet injury shortly after.
Williams carried the team almost single-handedly, reaching fifty off 74 balls and completing his century in 122 balls. He was eventually dismissed by spinner Keshav Maharaj, becoming the eighth batsman to get out in that innings.
Besides Williams’ 137, no other Zimbabwean batsman crossed fifty. Captain Craig Ervine was the second-highest scorer with 36.
Williams made his Test comeback in July last year after more than three years out. In just his second match back, he played that career-best 154. Since his return, he has scored fifty or more four times in 13 innings.
Since early 2020, Zimbabwe has scored 10 Test centuries in total, with five belonging to Williams.
Among currently active international cricketers, Williams has the longest career, which began with his ODI debut against South Africa in Johannesburg in February 2005. Over two decades, his journey has included various controversies and disputes with the cricket board.
