CRICKET - Bowler's fast rise

Sports editor Tim Eves reports.
TIM Southee is still getting to grips with his new status as a professional cricketer.
But rumours the 19-year-old fast bowler is teetering on the brink of a spot on the New Zealand cricket tour to England in May could suddenly thrust the boy from Maungakaramea into the spotlight.
In his first full season as a contracted first-class player, Southee has already made significant impact. Now cricketing folk are talking up his chances of securing the wildcard spot in the Black Caps tour party.
Southee will open the bowling for Northern Districts in a State Shield one-day match against Wellington at Cobham Oval tomorrow. According to a long list of cricketing authorities, it won't be long before he will be striding in on the big stage of test cricket.
But his rapid elevation up the rankings comes with a warning. At 19, Southee is still serving his apprenticeship, and shouldn't be rushed into the international scene too quickly.
Southee isn't the only seam bowler nudging the selectors though, with Auckland's Greg Morgan and Cantabrian Hamish Bennett two others in the frame.
Test veterans Chris Martin, Jacob Oram, the recently re-introduced Kyle Mills, and Michael Mason are all likely to be named among the bowlers on tour as well.
But as the man selected as the development project, ND coach Andy Moles thinks Southee has all the tools to succeed.
"Tim (Southee) is undoubtedly the best bowler outside of test cricket at the moment, other people are saying that, not just people in ND," Moles said.
"But the big thing at the moment from my perspective, and talking to (NZ selector) Dion Nash, is to make sure the way he comes into the side is managed so that he comes in with enough cricket behind him (so) that he will have the experience to play that level if he gets the opportunity," he said.
Already Sir Richard Hadlee and Australian cricketing great and now pace-bowling coaching guru Dennis Lillee have listed Southee as the next best thing.
And the sight of Southee in an animated discussion with Nash at Cobham Oval this week only fuelled the rumour that he is being eyed to fill the role of development player on the England tour.
Hadlee obviously thinks Southee has the goods.
"What I like about him is he's a tall young man who has a good approach to the wicket, with a nice, high action, and he can move the ball around - especially away from the batsman - which is a very good quality for a new ball bowler to have and he's had some early success but he's certainly a player for the future," Hadlee said.
Lillee cast his eye over Southee at a training camp last year, and was impressed enough to mention him as a player to watch as well.
But between now and selection of the squad to tour England, Southee has a truckload of work to power through, including the under-19 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur next month.
"We gave got to make sure that we don't over-bowl him. He is still 19-years of age, his body is still growing," Moles said.
"I have heard the rumour that (the NZ selectors) are looking for him to go abroad on the England tour to gain experience, but there is still a lot of cricket to go between now and then.
"At the moment he is full of confidence and has bowled well in the four-day stuff. He hasn't bowled so well in the one-day stuff so far, so he needs to get his feet under the table for us.
"He needs to live in the moment, as they say, and not look to far in the future.
"There is no doubt he is a very, very talented cricketer who will play at the highest level. With Tim it is a matter of when he becomes a Black Cap, not if."