Kane Williamson - A sporting prodigy come good

Kane Williamson made his One-Day International debut against India on 10 August 2010. He was dismissed for a ninth ball duck. In his second match, he was bowled by Angelo Mathews of Sri Lanka for a second ball duck.
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In March 2015, Martin Crowe wrote of Williamson:

"Williamson is a difficult player to focus against. Due to his humility and lack of ego, it is harder for bowlers and captains to get ramped up about the absolute necessity to remove him. His passive body language gives very little to feed off. It's noticeable that fielding sides are not sharp when he is at the crease, often spilling catches that would otherwise be taken if a sharper focus was created. Williamson has that X-factor, which no one can quite pin down. Frankly, he is David playing like Goliath."

Williamson made his Test debut against India at Ahmedabad on 4 November 2010. In his first innings he scored 131 and became the eighth New Zealander to score a century on Test debut.

Williamson has now made 12 Test centuries and is the fastest Black Cap to reach 3000 Test runs. In 2015 he is the leading combined run-scorer in all formats of international cricket.

Williamson is a sporting prodigy come good. He and twin brother Logan were born into a sports-mad household in Otumoetai. Father Brett was a talented cricketer and hockey player; mother Sandra a top basketballer. Sisters Kylie, Anna and Sophie played volleyball and basketball (Anna was a national under-19 volleyball rep).

Williamson was automatically grounded. The first sport he took a shine to was rugby. He played Roller Mills at first five-eighth. Roller Mills has produced over 50 All Blacks in its long history, including Bryan Williams and Sonny Bill Williams.

Williamson was too small to seriously kick-on in rugby so he turned his hand to basketball.
In 2005 Williamson was named MVP at the mid-northern junior secondary schools tournament. He was a dominant shooting guard.

Cricket was the sport he really excelled at. His talent was obvious right away. Williamson attended Tauranga Boys' College. When Williamson was in the First XI, Tauranga was one of the leading cricket schools in New Zealand. They attained four consecutive top three finishes at the Nationals between 2005 and 2008, sharing the National title in the former year.

Tauranga competes in the Super 8. Cricket was the first sport played in 1998. The very first match between Rotorua Boys' High School and Tauranga Boys' College featured two All Blacks in the Rotorua roster,  Craig Newby and Mike Delaney.

The Super 8 has since become a prolific producer of New Zealand sporting talent. In the current Black Caps XI, Ross Taylor, BJ Watling and Kane Williamson attended schools that compete in the Super 8.
Neil Howard was the coach of the Tauranga First XI from 1995 to 2008.  He fondly recalls Williamson's prodigious talent.

“Kane Williamson is the best schoolboy sportsmen I have had the privilege to see. On debut for the third XI in the third form he made 93 against a First XI. In the fourth form he debuted for the Bay of Plenty senior team and made 60 against a Counties team featuring Black Cap Daryl Tuffey. His first class debut came in the sixth form."

"In one Super 8 basketball game I saw him hit eight three pointers. Most importantly he was an outstanding young man on and off the field."
Williamson was the head prefect. His most dominant season as a cricketer was in 2006. He scored 713 runs at 79.22 and took 22 wickets at 16.36. His highest score was 161.
Williamson made at least five centuries in club cricket with a highest score of 180.
 
In 2008 he famously smashed 123 not out in a tour match in Australia in quick enough time to allow the Tauranga boys to get to the NRL playoff game between the Warriors and Manly before kick-off.
 
Interestingly Tauranga's tour team of 2008 has now produced four first class cricketers - Joe Carter, Bharat Poplin, Brett Hampton and Kane. For good measure Northern Districts  captain Daniel Flynn is a TBC Old Boy.
 
Despite Williamson's brilliance Howard says no innings played by him is the best he has seen at Tauranga Boys. Peter Drysdale (brother of Olympic rowing champion Mahe Drysalde) holds that honour. Peter made 123 not out in the Super 8 final against New Plymouth Boys' High School in 2006.
 
How many did Williamson get? He made 75 and took three wickets.
 
Williamson along with professional rugby players Simon Hickey (Auckland/Blues) and Michael Collins (Otago/Highlanders) are the only players to have made two centuries in the same Gillette Cup tournament. Mitchell Murray (profiled by College Sport Media) joined them last year.
Bravo Kane Williamson.
P.S. Kane Williamson made three centuries at the Gillette Cup Finals: 120 not out v Otago BHS 2006, 112 v Christchurch BHS 2007 and 100 v Palmerston North BHS 2007.
 
 
 
 
 

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