[Watch] Kane Williamson narrowly misses out on his ton on Day 1 of NZ vs ENG 2024 1st Test

New Zealand's ace batter Kane Williamson missed out on a well-deserved century by just seven runs on Day 1 of the ongoing first Test against England at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch. The former Black Caps skipper was gutted after slashing one straight to point.

The dismissal occurred in the 61st over of the innings sent down by Gus Atkinson. The right-arm pacer provided Williamson with enough room to cut, but the extra bounce got the better of the veteran right-hander as he miscued it to point, where Zak Crawley took a sharp catch.

Watch the dismissal below:

It was Atkinson's second wicket following his dismissal of Devon Conway in only the second over of the innings to put New Zealand on the backfoot. Williamson, meanwhile, was playing his first Test since the series against Sri Lanka which they lost 0-2. He missed the entire tour of India in which the Kiwis registered a historic 3-0 triumph.

Kane Williamson's 93 drives New Zealand towards a competitive total

New Zealand national cricket team. (Credits: Black Caps/X)

Meanwhile, the 34-year-old's 197-ball knock, consisting of 10 boundaries, has put the home side on the verge of a competitive total. No one in the top six apart from Williamson could score a half-century. Skipper Tom Latham (47) and Rachin Ravindra (34) failed to convert their promising starts into big knocks. Nevertheless, Glenn Phillips' ongoing knock (41*) could put the home side in an even more promising position.

England skipper Ben Stokes had earlier won the toss and elected to field first, citing the pitch's green nature and its potential to get better as the Test progresses. Both sides fielded one debutant each, with Jacob Bethell making his first Test appearance for England and Nathan Smith getting a maiden Test cap for New Zealand.

The Englishmen are coming off a 2-1 series loss in Pakistan. The series is crucial especially for New Zealand's chances of reaching the World Test Championship final.