Cricket: New recruit's back foot skill rare discovery

Kane Williamson is in the squad and may yet be in the starting 11. Photo / Christine Cornege

As fate would have it, right about the time Kane Williamson was taking a call from selector Mark Greatbatch telling him to be in Hamilton the following day, the two biggest influences on his career were having dinner together.

Brett Williamson, Kane's father, and Dave Johnson, a coach in the Bay of Plenty, were having a pre-movie meal (Mao's Last Dancer, Sandra Williamson's choice, says Brett), when the phone rang.

"We were quite surprised," said Brett Williamson. "There was talk he would be going on a winter tour and we were quite excited by that, but not this.

"It was good that Dave was there. We've both got stuffed shoulders from throw-downs over the years and Kane still calls Dave for advice."

Williamson is acknowledged as one of those rare finds in New Zealand cricket, a teenager as comfortable on the back foot as the front.

It was something that dad drummed into son after reading a 2005 newspaper article that lamented the lack of New Zealand players who were able to both defend and score runs off the back foot.

It struck a chord with Williamson senior, an age-group coach.

"With our slow pitches we tend to get our kids to lunge forward, but that technique is no good when playing in other countries.

"I used to get tennis balls and just fire it at the boys until it became second nature for them to play back to short bowling."

It worked. Northern Districts coach Grant Bradburn rates Williamson as the best back-foot player in the country, which could be handy against an Australian attack that bowls into the deck, making life awkward for those of a front-foot persuasion.

The 19-year-old still lives at home, something he wasn't sure it was wise to admit. While there's no shame in free rent, he might live to rue another confession - that two of his favourite cricketers happen to be touring the country.

"I wouldn't say I've based my game on anyone in particular, but there have been players I have admired since I was young, batsmen who I have enjoyed watching the way they build an innings.

"Sachin Tendulkar is an obvious one and [Ricky] Ponting and [Michael] Clarke come to mind."

Reminded that those two would most likely be standing in the slips cordon should he be selected to make his debut at the weekend (and neither of them are renowned for being shy to offer unsolicited comment), Williamson did his best to sound unfazed.

"If I'm playing, well that's just part and parcel of the game."

There has been spirited debate over Williamson's readiness for international cricket, with the selectors' first inclination being to ease him into the squad for tours to the subcontinent over winter.

Greatbatch did not hint one way or the other whether Williamson would make the XI.

"He's in the 13 so he's a chance, there's no doubt about that," Greatbatch said. "We resisted the temptation to bring him in earlier, but we've decided with one test left, he's a young lad playing well, very talented and it's an opportunity for him to be involved in the environment.

"If he does make the starting XI, I'm sure he'll acquit himself well."

One of the fears of introducing Williamson early is that it will be a repeat of the debuts handed to Martin Crowe in 1982 against Australia, and Ken Rutherford in the West Indies three years later.

"I don't see any Dennis Lillee or Jeff Thomson [here]," Greatbatch said. "The lad is pretty experienced for his young years and he's got a good head on him."

And a decent back-foot technique, thanks to the old man.

KANE IS ABLE

Kane Stuart Williamson

Age: 19

Hometown: Tauranga.

First-class debut:v Auckland, Eden Park Outer Oval, 2007 (Andre Adams twice dismissed him lbw for 2 and 0).

First-class batting: 19 matches, 1402 runs, average 48.3. He has scored four centuries and six 50s with a high score of 192.

First-class bowling: 27 wickets at 44.25. Best bowling 5-75.

Snapshot: Kane is a twin of Logan. They have three sisters, Kylie (25), Anna (23) and Sophie (21).

* His cousin is New Zealand under-19 wicketkeeper/batsman Dane Cleaver.