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England failed to make a good start in the second innings of the third Test match against New Zealand where they needed to chase a mammoth target of 658 to win the clash at Seddon Park, Hamilton. It was Williamson's last moment century that helped the hosts to take advantage.
England were 18/2 as openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley were both removed in the six overs bowled before stumps on day three in Hamilton. New Zealand needs eight more wickets to save the series whitewash as the visitors already won the first two Test matches.
It may only be seven wickets required, with doubt over whether the injured Ben Stokes will bat. The England captain suffered a hamstring injury while bowling which forced him to hobble immediately from the field.
Any prospect of England reaching what would be a world-record fourth-innings score were quickly quashed when Duckett charged down the pitch and played on for four.
It handed the first wicket of the match to seamer Tim Southee, playing his 107th and final Test before retiring.
Crawley was trapped lbw for five to complete a miserable series in which he fell to paceman Matt Henry in all six of his innings, totalling just 52 runs in the process.
Jacob Bethell was at the crease on nine and Joe Root was yet to score.
Earlier, the entire first session was wiped out due to rain but Williamson advanced his overnight 50 to a 33rd Test ton before departing for 156 soon after tea.
He put on 105 for the third wicket alongside Rachin Ravindra, who was caught for 44 off a leading edge from seamer Matthew Potts.
Williamson departed when top-edging a sweep into the deep off Shoaib Bashir (2-170).
New Zealand’s greatest run-scorer struck 20 fours and one six as he took his career tally of Test runs at Seddon Park to 1,614, the most by any batter at any New Zealand venue.
