During the second day of the Wellington Test between New Zealand and Australia, a rare occurrence unfolded as New Zealand captain Kane Williamson found himself run out for a duck following a mid-pitch collision with teammate Will Young.
The incident took place when the Black Caps were at 1-12 in the fifth over. Williamson, facing a delivery from Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc, directed the ball towards mid-off and called Young for a quick single. However, as they attempted the run, a collision between Williamson and Young occurred in the middle of the pitch. In the chaos, Williamson bumped into Starc and lost his bat, while Marnus Labuschagne swiftly threw down the stumps at the non-striker’s end.
Former Australian all-rounder Brendon Julian, expressing disbelief in commentary, remarked, “I cannot believe it. How has that happened? Calamity out there in the middle.” Meanwhile, former New Zealand batter Craig McMillan described the scene as a disaster for New Zealand.
As a consequence of the run-out, Williamson, widely regarded as one of New Zealand’s greatest Test cricketers, departed without scoring, leaving the Black Caps reeling at 1-12. The unfortunate turn of events was compounded when rising star Rachin Ravindra fell soon after, with the Black Caps stumbling to 3-12.
Williamson, known for his impeccable performance on home soil, has been in outstanding form over the past 18 months, having scored six Test centuries in New Zealand since the beginning of last year. His previous Test scores at home reflect an impressive average of 125.14.
Earlier in the day, Australia’s centurion Cameron Green and tailender Josh Hazlewood formed a record-breaking 116-run partnership for the tenth wicket, guiding Australia to a total of 383 runs in the first innings.
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