Cricket: Williamson needs to get used to one spot

Kane Williamson has had some impressive innings in his short career. Photo / Alan Gibson

In his nine test innings, Kane Williamson has walked to the crease in four different batting positions.

Time, then, to park his bike in the same spot for an extended period, starting in the one-off test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on Tuesday.

Williamson's century on debut, 131 at Ahmedabad last November, was at No 6.

He batted at seven and six in the second test at Hyderabad, for four and 69; then at five and seven for 0 and eight at Nagpur.

During Pakistan's visit early this year, Williamson got 50 and one at No 6, then 21 and 15 at No 3.

So he has been doing a shuffle up and down the order while others determine the best position for him.

Expect Williamson to walk out at No 3 in Bulawayo. Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum will carry on their opening partnership; captain Ross Taylor will bat at No 4, Jesse Ryder at five; and uncapped Dean Brownlie has been flagged for the No 6 slot. Which leaves one obvious hole.

The 21-year-old averages 33.22 in tests and is clearly one of the country's big talents.

One of New Zealand's finest batsmen, asked two years ago if Williamson was merely another of a clutch of promising cricketers or an uncommonly gifted one, opted decisively for the latter.

This summer, with seven tests coming up against Zimbabwe, Australia and South Africa, shapes as a royal chance for Williamson to take decisive steps forward in his international development.

This week he veered away from singling out a particular spot in the batting order he'd prefer to occupy.

"I think most batters would want to bat in the top order," he said from Bulawayo.

"That's something I'd love to do but I understand I have to bide my time, put in the performances and work my way up. It is something I'm aware of, just focusing on scoring runs every time I bat."

The last time he batted, he blazed 100 not out from just 69 balls in the third ODI against Zimbabwe this week. His last 74 runs came from only 41 deliveries.

It was New Zealand's second-quickest ODI ton, after Craig McMillan's blazing 67-ball effort against Australia in Hamilton in 2007.

And Williamson got there in a swirl of dust, diving to make his ground off the final ball of the innings on a hard-run three, which required a third umpire check.

Time spent during the off-season with English county Gloucestershire, under former New Zealand coach John Bracewell, was highly beneficial.

"I absolutely loved it," he said.

"Playing in different conditions, getting myself into a different culture, it was something I really enjoyed. We played on a lot of tracks that suited swing bowling so I had to adapt to different conditions."

If No 3 is to become Williamson's long-term place that experience won't hurt him, and if it works out well, it will solve a traditional problem area not really solved since Stephen Fleming's retirement in2008.

Fast forward to Brisbane on December 1 and the first test against Australia.

For consistency's sake, that team will, with the odd tinker - Tim Southee, if fit, to open the bowling being an obvious example - be the one which faces Zimbabwe.

New Zealand coach and selector John Wright needs to establish his best team, allowing for bowling alternatives determined by pitch conditions, and stick with it.

In that respect, next week looms as an ideal opportunity for players to put their hand up.

Brownlie is one firmly in that category; so too Williamson, with one specific job in mind.

* Williamson's Northern Districts team will have three different captains this summer.

Incumbent James Marshall will lead them in the one-day competition, opener Brad Wilson is captain of the Plunket Shield side, while recently retired international Scott Styris is in charge for the HRV Cup T20 competition.

Each captain will offer "a unique freshness in their approach", ND chief executive David Cooper said.