By ROSALEEN MacBRAYNE
A bat that belonged to England test cricketer Graham Thorpe is proving a big hit with a Tauranga schoolboy.
Kane Williamson, 12, has been piling up the runs since the three-year-old Kookaburra bat was given to him a few weeks ago.
The first time he took the field with
it, Kane hit 106 not out for Bay of Plenty Coastlands against Lakelands.
In Gisborne last week, he led his team to the Northern Districts under-14 title, accumulating 420 runs in four stints at the crease with scores of 101, 128no, 100no and 91no.
Today, opening batsman Kane and the rest of Otumoetai Intermediate's first X1 - including his twin brother Logan - are in Palmerston North for their first national Milo Cup final.
In the four-way fight for the primary school championship, the Tauranga youngster hopes his "lucky" bat will do the business again.
But coach Rob Soffe reckons the willow has little to do with it.
"He's a very good player."
Mr Soffe also praised the teamwork.
"It's one of those batches [of players] that come through every so often with a whole pile of talent," he said at after-school practice yesterday.
Kane is modest about his ability - "you have a good day sometimes" - but believes the bat has lifted his performance.
"A bat doesn't make a player, but a good bat helps," he said. "This is a really nice bat."
A new bat bought about the same time has been put aside in favour of the treasured Kookaburra, which has a smaller handle and beautiful grain.
It was given to him by a friend of his father's, former Canterbury player Bill Aldridge, whose son is Northern Districts allrounder Graeme.
Aldridge acquired it from Jim Irwin of Mt Maunganui, who in turn got it from Ireland international and Surrey-contracted bowler Mark Patterson, a Mount player two years ago.
Kane, also a good spin-bowler, admits Thorpe is not his favourite player, "but everyone is a fan of internationals". He is thinking of writing to Thorpe.
