David Leggat: The secret's out - Williamson is a class act

Arun Lal's greatest claim to cricket fame was being Richard Hadlee's record-breaking 374th test wicket.

The Indian opener edged a catch to slip at Bangalore in 1988, enabling Hadlee to overtake Ian Botham's test best mark.

Last night Lal turned prophet as Kane Williamson became the eighth New Zealander to hit a century on test debut. Just before his dismissal for a fine 131, Lal described the Tauranga 20-year-old as "the new emerging hero of world cricket".

This might come as a surprise to Williamson.

In time it could prove a prescient observation, but it sounded as if an excited Lal was just a touch ahead of himself.

And yet, there was plenty to admire in Williamson's performance, coming in at an awkward time with New Zealand 137 for four, still 151 away from avoiding the follow on. He looked composed and organised, did not appear twitchy or rushed in his movements, and if he had a massive dose of good fortune when surviving a catch behind on 56 that's all part of the game.

Last season, the national selectors were reluctant to promote Williamson into the New Zealand side.

Their tardiness now seems a case of poor judgment.

With a maiden ODI century in Bangladesh a few weeks ago, plus the Ahmedabad ton, Williamson is off and running on an international career which holds a pile of promise.

Right now, New Zealand cricket can do with a new young player in whom the fans can see hope of something special, after the rubble of the Bangladesh ODI drubbing and the accompanying feeling that the national side is in a significant depression. The last player of comparable age to similarly excite the public was a bespectacled left arm spinner, who made his test debut at 18, 13 years ago.

Williamson was seven at that time.

Appropriately Dan Vettori was in the middle when Williamson got his hundred last night.

And also from the "how time flies" file is this: Sachin Tendulkar made his first test hundred in August, 1990, the day after Williamson was born.

The great batsman was in the field yesterday. He's eyeing his 50th test hundred some time in the next two tests against New Zealand.

Williamson has long been talked of as being uncommonly promising among New Zealand's pool of rising talent.

Now the secret's out on the international stage.