Black Caps captain Kane Williamson became the first New Zealander to score a test century against all other test playing nations on day two of the second test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.

Ross Taylor surpassed one of former mentor Martin Crowe's milestones and then set his sights on overhauling another before Zimbabwe embarked on a drawn out face-saving exercise in Bulawayo.

Taylor, who started his latest imperious innings with the first ball of day two at the Queens Sports Club, replaced Crowe as third on the list of New Zealand's greatest test run scorers when he made 40, and then advanced to his 15th test century to leave him just two short of the cricketing statesman who moulded his career.

The former Black Caps captain looked to the heavens and uttered a few words when he eclipsed Crowe's test aggregate of 4555 in the morning session, after Kane Williamson had created history by becoming the first New Zealander to score a century against each of the nine test playing nations.

CAMERON SPENCER/GETTY IMAGES Black Caps veteran Ross Taylor overtook former mentor Martin Crowe as New Zealand's third highest test run scorer on day two of the second test with Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.

Williamson joined Taylor on 14 test hundreds inside the first half hour of play when he moved effortlessly from his overnight score of 95 to join a dozen other batting luminaries with a full set of centuries against top flight opposition.

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ROB JEFFERIES/GETTY IMAGES Tom Latham compiled back-to-back centuries against Zimbabwe, adding 136 on the opening day of the second test at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo to his 105 in the series opener at the same venue.

The 25-year-old was the youngest - and quickest - batsmen to join the exclusive club though his achievement was tempered by a tame dismissal on 113; Williamson was mortified to steer an innocuous delivery to Craig Ervine, a one-man cordon in the gully.

Williamson struck 10 boundaries from 151 balls and then Taylor and BJ Watling maintained a similarly brisk scoring rate once they combined for another demoralising stand.

They added a record 253 for the sixth wicket on the same placid wicket block in the first test and looked capable of at least matching that mark when Williamson declared at tea after the Black Caps had amassed 582 for four.

Test century number 15 for @RossLTaylor ... a fine knock from our most experienced BLACKCAP. #ZIMvNZ ^WN pic.twitter.com/tt6OP9DgTb — BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) August 7, 2016

Taylor and Watling produced a relentless 193-run stand so for the first time in New Zealand's 410-test history an innings featured three partnerships in excess of 150: Martin Guptill/Tom Latham [169-run opening stand], Latham and Williamson [160 for the second wicket] were the other significant contributors.

The Black Caps kept Zimbabwe in the field for 150 overs and replacing the 576 for six made in the first test [166.5 overs] with a new highest score against their hosts.

Taylor was unbeaten on 124 [173 balls] and Watling was denied an opportunity to record back-to-back centuries for the first time in his career; he made an understated 107 last week and was 83 when he switched gloves.

Taylor made triple figures from 142 balls with just one scare - debutant wicketkeeper Peter Moor couldn't hold a regulation edge when he was on 91 off part time medium pacer Prince Masvaure, the eighth bowler enlisted by skipper Graeme Cremer.

New Zealand carried their overnight score from 329 for two, adding 102 during an opening session where the focus was inevitably on Williamson.

The 25-year-old reached his hundred by clipping Donald Tiripano to the square leg rope to move to 102 - an achievement he acknowledged in typically understated style.

Williamson, who scored a century on debut against India in 2010, needed 91 innings to register a hundred against the nine other nations so he supersedes Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara, who needed 114 innings and 69 tests to complete his collection with 152 against England at Kandy in 2007.

South African Gary Kirsten was the first player to make a ton against every test-ranked opponent in 2002 when he made 150 against Bangladesh in East London.

There was only one downside for the Black Caps, or Henry Nicholls in particular. He was again unable to capitalise on another opportunity to justify his place in the No 5 batting slot previously occupied by Brendon McCullum.

The left hander scored 18 in the first test and 15 in his second bat of the series before he was plumb lbw when sweeping legspinner Cremer.

New Zealand's bowlers also had reason for retrospection at the close after Zimbabwe negotiated 30 overs without losing a wicket - a remarkable improvement on the first test.

Although the run-rate was pedestrian, Zimbabwe at least avoided another top order collapse after they capitulated to 36 for four and 17 for four last week.

Tino Mawoyo, who missed the first test after being struck on the thumb by Tim Southee in the warm-up match typified the conservative approach by taking 61 balls to make seven, although he then peeled three boundaries off a Mitchell Santner over.

Mawoyo was unbeaten on 20 from 91 balls while Chamu Chibhabha resumes on 31 [89 balls] after they guided Zimbabwe to 55, a deficit of 527.

Watling had no qualms about Williamson ending the Black Caps innings when he was close to a century,

"I think it's more important that we get some time. I think we've got enough runs there and time could be quite crucial in this test match. We need as much as we can [to dismiss Zimbabwe twice].

"It's going to be hard work for our bowlers," he said, crediting the Zimbabweans response.

"We expected it to be a lot tougher. The wicket is a bit slower and a bit lower so it'll be tougher to get the edges."

Few extra milestones for Kane: First century as captain, youngest to get tons against all nations and will average 50 after this innings ^CE — BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) August 7, 2016

Kane Williamson's first centuries v test playing nations

131 v India at Ahmedabad [on debut], Nov 2010

102* v South Africa at Wellington, March 2012

135 v Sri Lanka at Colombo, Nov 2012

114 v Bangladesh at Chittagong, Oct 2013

113 v West Indies at Kingston, June 2014

192 v Pakistan at Sharjah, Nov 2014

132 v England at Lord's, May 2015

140 v Australia at Brisbane, Nov 2015

113 v Zimbabwe at Bulawayo, Aug 2016

Players to have scored centuries have against the nine other test playing nations

Gary Kirsten [South Africa] 2002

Steve Waugh [Australia] 2003

Sachin Tendulkar [India] 2004

Rahul Dravid [India] 2004

Marvan Atapattu [Sri Lanka] 2005

Brian Lara [West Indies] 2005

Adam Gilchrist [Australia] 2006

Ricky Ponting [Australia] 2006

Kumar Sangakkara [Sri Lanka] 2007

Mahela Jayawardene [Sri Lanka] 2009

Jacques Kallis [South Africa] 2012

Younis Khan [Pakistan] 2014

Kane Williamson [New Zealand] 2016

New Zealand's leading run scorers in test cricket

Stephen Fleming [111 tests 1994-2008] 7172

Brendon McCullum [101 tests 2004-2016] 6453

Ross Taylor* [71 tests 2007-2016] 5529

Martin Crowe [77 tests 1982-1995] 5444

John Wright [82 tests 1978-1993] 5334

Nathan Astle [81 tests 1996-2006] 4702

Daniel Vettori [112 tests 1997-2014] 4523

Kane Williamson* [50 tests 2010-2016] 4241

Bevan Congdon [61 tests 1965-78] 3448

JR Reid [58 tests 1949-65] 3428

*Still active

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