Sports and its superstars sometimes have the knack to transport fans away from reality for a brief while by elevating their game beyond the normal. And when Kane Williamson bats, the world seems like a better place.

The New Zealand captain, on a green pitch, hit the highest Test score of his career on Friday with a majestic 251 as the hosts posted an imposing 519/7 declared on day two of the first Test against the West Indies in Hamilton.

In reply, the injury-hit West Indies were 49/0 with John Campbell on 22 and Kraigg Brathwaite on 20 after cautiously negotiating the 26 overs to stumps.

The man who was hitting half centuries in the playoffs of the Indian Premier League not so long ago, needed no time to get going in red-ball cricket.

After two months playing in the same IPL team as West Indies skipper Jason Holder, Williamson, 30, slipped seamlessly back into the strict demands of the red-ball game.

He was thrust into the Test after five overs and over the next 10 hours and 24 minutes he faced 412 deliveries, caressing the ball to all points as he picked the deliveries that needed to be played and rarely touched anything else.

Williamson’s third double century, eclipsing his unbeaten 242 against Sri Lanka nearly six years ago, included 34 fours and two sixes. It extended his New Zealand record to 22 Test centuries, three more than team-mate Ross Taylor.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to the classy knock by Williamson: