Aside from the allrounder’s free scoring to end a day that began with similar attacking intent from Latham, it was Williamson’s graft that dominated the initial exchanges of two teams who already look likely to deliver an evenly matched encounter.
New Black Caps fans, having grown attached and accustomed to their side’s recent ascendancy, would be unfamiliar with this feeling. New Zealand so thoroughly outplayed India in their own conditions that it was easy to forget Williamson was watching at home.
Veteran viewers would be used to Black Caps batters giving away their wicket – and equally acquainted to Williamson’s masterful discipline.
The 34-year-old has spent a career proving he is impervious to pressure. A world-class attack, external noise, even an occasional lean spell – nothing worries Williamson when in his happy place with bat in hand.
It was no surprise, then, for Williamson to return from injury and respond to the exemplary deeds of his replacement by stoking a well-made 93 in front of a sun-drenched Christchurch crowd.
Williamson was never in danger of being omitted, despite Will Young stepping into his No 3 spot and winning player of the series as the Black Caps stunned India. An immediate return to the batting order was a given, providing his recovered groin allowed.
But considering that for the first time a few Kiwis might have been contemplating life after Williamson, with Young potentially offering a less painful transition than long anticipated, an instant return to form was timed as nicely as his pull.
The only real shock was the fact Williamson failed to register test century No 33. After going six years without falling in the 90s, betraying no nerves while converting those scores a run of 13 straight hundreds, Williamson was tamely dismissed in the final session.
Before that atypically loose cut of Gus Atkinson, the No 3 put together successive 50-run stands with Latham (47), Rachin Ravindra (34) and Daryl Mitchell (19).
Williamson scuffled at first, having played one warm-up match for Northern Districts, but found a fluidity that never left after he pulled Stokes for his first boundary after 47 balls.
It’s almost redundant to mention, and could have been said often throughout his 103-test career, but the Black Caps would have been in a much stronger position if Williamson’s teammates had been capable of matching his control.
With England’s seamers finding bounce but no movement, losing their length and footing on a problematic popping crease, batting seemed straightforward for much of the day.
At least that’s the way it looked when Ravindra threw his head back after spooning a catch from Shoaib Bashir (4-69), the young offspinner the pick of the attack almost by default.
Tom Blundell, debutant Nathan Smith and Matt Henry each joined Ravindra in providing something of a gift to Bashir, while Mitchell and Williamson at least provided a point of difference in offering up their wicket to pace.
Only Latham and opening partner Devon Conway could claim to have been deceived by decent bowling, and if Stokes had held a diving chance when Phillips was yet to score, the day could have belonged solely to the tourists.
Instead, with Williamson once more leading the way, the Black Caps will be content to see if their four-strong seam attack can succeed where the England struggled.
The Alternative Commentary Collective is covering every home Black Caps this summer. Listen to live commentary here.
Kris Shannon has been a sports journalist since 2011 and covers a variety of codes for the Herald. Reporting on Grant Elliott’s six at Eden Park in 2015 was a career highlight.