Blackcaps captain Kane Williamson has ended the year on a high, after advancing to No.1 in the ICC test batting rankings.
Williamson's 150-plus combined runs in the first test win over Pakistan was enough for him to leapfrog Australia's Steve Smith and India's Virat Kohli to the top of the standings.
"It feels surreal to be on there," Williamson says.
"However, I believe that it's a bit of a team reward to be honest ... it wouldn't mean much without the contributions and the efforts from all the other players that you play alongside for such a long period of time that give you the motivation and drive to want to try and move the teams forward that you're involved in."
It's the second time Williamson has claimed the top spot, after a brief stint in 2015.
"There's also so many people along the way that have gone into trying to help me as a player and as a person and I want to thank all of them," he adds.
The 30-year-old has enjoyed another golden summer to date, highlighted by a virtuoso career-best 251 in the first test against the West Indies earlier this month.
This week, he was also named to the ICC's Team of the Decade.
"For me to sneak up, perhaps, in some way is very surprising and humbling but at the same time I think there's other rankings somewhere that quite clearly state the successes of these other two," says the typically humble Williamson.
"Year in and year out those two players, in all formats, are moving the game forward."
Williamson's Blackcaps are currently the provisional No.1 test team, and a win in the second test against Pakistan in Christchurch would cement their spot at the summit.
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