I noticed something about Kane Williamson when he first came back to Australia, for the Brisbane Test match this summer, and all through the following tour.
His stance at the crease.
Williamson takes guard at, or outside, off stump. This is highly unusual for any batsman because it opens up lbws if the pitch is playing strangely, or staying low, or even if it’s just a bit two-paced.
It changes the entire placing of shots. What would normally be left as too wide can be played through cover and mid-off with aplomb. And, provided you are good enough, it allows you to hit straight balls – or what would normally be considered a straight ball – through the entire leg side, pretty much letting you choose which part of the field to target.
And, while I’m here, yes, Steven Smith does it too. The difference is, though, that his technique is rather scrutinised, where Williamson’s is not.
And Smith is, at least for the moment, so adept at putting the straight ball through the leg side that it would be dangerous to attempt to get him out lbw, because you’re risking him carting you for 100 before you get your man.
And this brings me back to Williamson. Sure, he’s not going out lbw, because he’s very, very good straight of the wicket. But I have a theory, one which I’ve held ever since that first Test I remember watching him bat.
You see, Williamson as a youngster had no idea where his off stump was.
Some batsman do, some don’t, but what it allows you to do is leave the ball, on width or height, when the bowler puts it around the right line and length.
When Williamson was having trouble with those balls, some enterprising coach took his game and moved it some inches to the right, until Williamson was taking guard on or outside off. The simple instruction was, ‘if it isn’t a length you like, and it’s outside your body, leave the bloody thing’.
And, by gosh, it works! But only so long as the ball isn’t moving.
If the ball is moving, then the rules have changed and the uncertainty about his game returns. He still doesn’t know where the stumps are, so he plays at more than he should, and goes out caught behind the wicket.
It is an immense pain to watch someone who has such a pure technique, who by rights should excel when the going is tough, fail when batting is harder than Adelaide on Day 2. And I’m sure that some enterprising coach is still working on fixing the problem.
Let’s hope that it isn’t so much of a Band-Aid fix next time.
Liam
Guest
When I say this is a bandaid solution, what I meant is that his positioning at the crease, with the advice from the coaching to leave anything outside the line of his body, is a bandaid to cover his inability to know when to play around his off stump. And, to a certain extent, I agree that the theory that taking guard around off gives LBW opportunities is fallacious when the batsman - be it Williamson or Smith - is so good against straighter bowling. My issue isn't so much with that, it's more to do with answering the question of why Williamson is so good at plundering bowlers when the pitch is good, but seemingly worse than he should be on a deck which gives more to the bowlers.
Craig Swanson
Guest
South Africans Amla and de Villiers also have a similar trigger movement to Smith. Two more prolific run scorers.
Jameswm
Guest
Who says it's a band aid fix? Three of the most productive batsman of the last 15 years (Smith, Williamson and Chanderpaul) faced up around off stump, and with an open stance. Add ABDV, sometimes more than others. OK maybe Williamson less open, but still more than most, and head at off stump. The answer is having your head still over the ball. Opening up your stances makes it easier to play through the leg side. There's also this theory that it opens up LBWs more. Why? If you miss o ne on the stumps with a more traditional stance, you'll still be out LBW, or if your pads aren't across as far, simply bowled. If you miss a straight one you're out. The idea is not to miss them. If having an open stance and a head over off stump makes this less likely, then do it. Remember. most balls on the stumps are on off stump. Bowl at leg stump and you might pick up the odd LBW, but you'll go for a helluva lot of runs in the meantime. So if the ball's on off stump, that's where you want your head to be. If the traditional stance puts your head at leg stump, then it's inside the line of the balls on off stump, and more inside the line of the ones at a stump or two outside off. Have yur head at off stump, and it's only just inside the line of the ones just outside off, and if your back foot is across, your head can be almost behind them. I also say this from personal experience. I changed my stance in my early-mid 30s,getting back and across before the ball was bowled, and batted better than ever. The leg side completely opened up.