“Yeah it probably is, eh? And you’re delaying my lunch, which isn’t very good of you…”

Williamson first graced Lord’s as a professional in 2012, playing against Middlesex in a Clydesdale Bank Pro40 fixture as an overseas signing for Gloucestershire. Aside from his four previous Tests, his only other first-class appearance here came for Yorkshire in 2014, a match that earned Joe Root the nickname “craptain” as Middlesex chased down a target of 472 for the loss of just three.

Last summer, Williamson signed a unique deal with Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) – the owners of Lord’s – that allowed him to play for both Middlesex and MCC Hundred side, London Spirit. In doing so, Williamson, who had opted out of his New Zealand Cricket contract the year before, missed two Test matches against Zimbabwe.

Still operating without a national deal in the twilight of his career, and with uncertainty over when New Zealand may next tour given the absence of a Future Tours Programme beyond 2027, Williamson will savour the week ahead in NW8 one final time.

“It’s always a special Test,” Williamson said of playing at Lord’s. “I think if you look over your career, you only get… well depends on how long you play for… but yeah, I’ve played for a while and you only get a handful of opportunities to come to Lord’s and play.

“I think the way they maintain the tradition, is quite special. It’s unique to Lord’s; the history that surrounds it, the effort that goes into, to all of that, you come here and you, you notice those differences to all other grounds.

“Walking out to the pitch through the long room, bumping into a few members, and obviously the lunches are iconic. There’s a number of things that are memorable here. But it is a special place to play and I think everybody feels that their first time and also values every opportunity that they have.

“To have the experience that you have here. I know for a number of players in the dressing room, it’s their first time and they’re pretty excited at that prospect.”

The victory was credited with reigniting interest in English Test cricket, who went on to regain the Ashes later that same summer. England head coach Brendon McCullum, who was Black Caps skipper at the time, could do with something similar 11 years on.

“The honours board is something that people talk a lot about,” Williamson said, recalling his century in what was ultimately a 124-run defeat. “It was an amazing game of cricket too, to be fair. We ended up losing, but scored 700 runs and took 20 wickets – on any other day we’re pretty happy with that.

“It was unique because it was a pretty good pitch and then, overheads came over and the lights came on and all of a sudden it was really, really difficult and that’s some of the characteristics that you have here in particular in England with the Dukes ball. It was a memorable time some time ago, but I do remember it fondly.”