New Zealand's Kane Williamson raises his bat after reaching his century in the second test against Sri Lanka.

You won't hear revelatory insight from Kane Williamson.

If there's ever a cricketer who lets his bat do his talking, it's the 25-year-old who is now rated as the best test batsman in the world.

Williamson's bat began yapping on January 3 in the second test against Sri Lanka and never shut up throughout 2015.

When a boundary brought up his century at Seddon Park against Sri Lanka on Monday morning, it took him past the previous best mark of 1164 test runs in a calendar year for a New Zealand batsman, set the year prior by his captain Brendon McCullum.



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He eventually finished his last test of the year with 1172 test runs in 2015, as his 108 not out led New Zealand to a five-wicket win in the second test.

That also meant Williamson jumped two spots to top the International Cricket Council ranking list as the game's premier test batsman for the first time.

He moved above England's Joe Root (886 points) and South Africa's AB de Villiers (881) to sit on 889 points - the first time since the ICC introduced the rankings system that a New Zealander has been No 1.

As always, Williamson deflected all the praise heaped his way with the same care and ease he would a ball directed on middle and leg.

"It's always nice to get a score, but ... it means more I suppose when you spend some time in the middle and make a larger contribution to a team performance," Williamson said.

"It was nice to do that today and get the team across the line."

Williamson's test performances in 2015 have seen him also set a new national mark for most test centuries in a calendar year with five.

He had a double-century, four other tons and four half-centuries and averaged a Bradmanesque 90.15 over tests this year. For his test career, he has lifted his average to 49.93, with 3895 runs from 46 tests.

But while the statistics are pleasing for the elegant right-hander, the team always comes first.

"The most pleasing thing is, I guess each game you set out, you want to contribute as best you can to the team performance and that's all I want to do, really.

"You talk about years and things, it's very difficult to look at it like that - but I suppose that's what you guys [the media] do," he said.

"It's nice to be recognised."

There's no fuss or frill to what he's doing either.

"I just try and keep things as simple as possible.

"Looking at each game as it comes and trying to prepare as best as I can for it - but definitely trying to keep things simple.

"You always can improve and I think that's the beauty of international cricket, particularly test cricket, is playing all around the world against different opposition and you constantly have to adapt your game."

Also taking into account one-day and Twenty20 matches for the Black Caps, Williamson has 2633 international runs in all formats in 2015 - more than any other batsmen.

That puts him fifth on the all-time list for total international runs in a calendar year, behind Kumar Sangakkara (2868 last year), Ricky Ponting (2833 in 2005), Angelo Mathews (2867 last year) and Ponting again (2657 in 2003).

He could chase top spot in the New Zealand's three ODIs against Sri Lanka before the end of the year - but there is a doubt over his availability after a knee injury troubled him in Hamilton which requires assessment from the team's medicos.

Williamson described it as one of "a few niggles that I guess come with playing and I hope it settles down quite quickly."