Kane Williamson has passed Martin Crowe and Ross Taylor to become the New Zealander with the most test centuries, scoring his 18th against England at Eden Park on Friday.

He reached the milestone in the ninth over of the second day of the day-night test, dabbing a ball from James Anderson into the gully region, where a fumble allowed a single.

Arriving at the crease with his side 8-1 in the second session of the first day, having won the toss and watched this bowlers dismiss England for 58, Williamson had some work to do.

ANDREW CORNAGA/PHOTOSPORT With his 18th test century, Kane Williamson has broken Martin Crowe's record.

He set about his task the same way he always does, with a solid defence the first priority, and immediately looked at ease at the crease.

READ MORE:

* How Williamson equalled Crowe

* Live: Black Caps v England

* Aussies behind England's nadir

* Hussain: England 'going backwards'

There was a rare six, his 13th in 64 tests, over long on off spinner Moeen Ali, but otherwise it was an innings of patient accumulation.

He shared in an 84-run stand with Tom Latham for the second wicket, put on 31 with Taylor for the third, and 83 with Henry Nicholls for the fourth, before falling lbw on 102 to Anderson, who got him with an inswinger in the second session with the second new ball.

There was a scare when Williamson was on 64, and Chris Woakes thought he'd got a finger to a Taylor drive to run him out at the non-striker's end, but the third umpire couldn't find any conclusive evidence of a touch, so he survived.

Williamson scored his first test century seven years and fourth months ago, in his debut against India in Ahmedabad.

He moved level with Crowe last March, scoring two centuries in the home series with South Africa - 130 at University Oval in Dunedin and 176 at Seddon Park in Hamilton. Taylor then joined them in having 17 centuries last December, when he scored 107no against the West Indies in Hamilton.

Williamson's highest score is 242, made against Sri Lanka at the Basin Reserve in January 2015.

His 18th century came in his 114th test innings. As a comparison, Taylor took 149 innings to make 17 centuries, and Crowe took 120 to reach the same mark.

Williamson turns 28 in August, and there will surely be plenty more test centuries to come.