Feature

Beware New Zealand's quiet man

BJ Watling watched New Zealand's journey to the World Cup final from the sidelines but he has been a vital part of their Test resurgence both in front and behind the stumps

Alex Winter
Alex Winter
18-May-2015
BJ Watling has shown he is up for the scrap in Test cricket, pushing his average over 40  •  Getty Images

BJ Watling has shown he is up for the scrap in Test cricket, pushing his average over 40  •  Getty Images

It was Iain Duncan-Smith who, as UK Conservative party leader, said do not underestimate the determination of a quiet man. It could be just as easy to misjudge softly-spoken BJ Watling's appetite for success but he, and his New Zealand side, have captured the public's imagination far better than Duncan-Smith ever did. Certainly there will not be a vote of no confidence about Watling based in his form of the last 18 months.
Like the Conservatives in 2003, New Zealand axed their leader amid an internal mess. But unlike the Conservatives, the benefits were seen almost immediately. Ross Taylor was sacked and Brendon McCullum's leadership has steered them to success and popularity. Watling was just eight Tests into his career when the rift occurred but, with his inexperience and seemingly general easy-going nature, was able to let the politics pass him by.
"There was obviously tension around the squad at that time," Watling told ESPNcricinfo. "It was tough for us." A quick comment on the events of December 2012 is an accurate reflection of how the public no doubt looks back too - it was quick, like pulling off a plaster, and everyone has moved on. Watling also brushes off the Cape Town Test, the first of McCullum's reign as captain, where New Zealand where bowled out for 45 and McCullum locked himself in his hotel room with a beer.
What did Watling, playing just his ninth Test, do? "I can't really remember," he says genuinely. "I think we definitely learnt a lesson from then. But I don't think we dwelled on it for too long to be fair. It happened so quickly and it was over. We fought hard in the second innings and we took a lot from that, I had a partnership with Dean Brownlie who got a hundred and it was confidence building. It was a tough series against a quality team but we've managed to grow from that."
From behind a locked Cape Town hotel room, McCullum plotted a route to the unprecedented success New Zealand have enjoyed in the past 18 months. And Watling has been an integral part of the Test side's rise to No. 3 in the world - above England, ahead of the Test series that starts on Thursday, and India, whom Watling helped repel with his third Test century in a record-breaking partnership in Wellington in February 2014. It secured New Zealand a draw and a 1-0 series win, the second of four series wins in their last five.
"It was a pretty proud moment," Watling said of his 352 stand with McCullum, who made 302. "We had the 1-0 lead at the time and the incentive was there to get the win, and we hadn't had too many at the time. We were just trying to get through every over but it was a long time out there and we often ran out of things to say to each other.
"Brendon is pretty relaxed, and just plays his natural game, we had a few demons to fight but it was great to watch from the other end. For me it was staying there as long as I could."
Eleven months on, back in Wellington and Watling's stickability was again a prized asset as he and Kane Williamson shared 365 for the sixth wicket against Sri Lanka, which this time lead to a remarkable turnaround win and another series victory. "Both were important partnerships in terms of the series and to do that twice was the most pleasing thing," Watling says. "We've managed to do that a few times over the last year or so."
Do those partnerships best demonstrate the mental improvement in the squad? "Yes I think so. We've got a lot of fight in us. New Zealanders have always fought but the experience and the consistency in the squad now is helping. The boys are moving forward from that tough period and have a lot more confidence now.
"We always believed we could do it. I guess there's a bit more relaxed, the boys know what they're doing, they know their roles and it's a team who are gelling quite nicely at the moment. This team has now managed some success in different conditions now, the boys are working hard and we should put up a decent fight against England."
To do so, New Zealand will have to adjust to the Dukes ball. Their IPL contingent have had a batch sent to India to bowl with in the nets and Watling has been canvassing opinion about keeping to it, including with his first coach in Hamilton, where he moved to aged 10 from Durban.
"It's a difficult job keeping in England," Watling says, also with the Lord's slope to consider on Thursday. "The change in ball makes a big difference, it wobbles more than it does back home. I've played here a few times and I'm starting to adjust. But it varies. It can wobble randomly or zoom straight through. I did quite a bit of work with keeping coach back home, everyone's got their own theories about how to deal with the wobble here so hopefully I can work something out."
Watling has worked out quite a lot since being handed the gloves against Zimbabwe in January 2012. He made his first Test century in that match and has since settled the debate of New Zealand's wicketkeeper after several candidates were offered a chance.
"I was fairly nervous," Watling recalls of his first game as wicketkeeper, having started his Test career as an opening batsman. "There was lot of talk about the keeping and I had been on and off keeping throughout my career, but that Zimbabwe game was the time when Brendon decided to give up the gloves full time and bat in the middle order, it's been good to come out the other end of that period of uncertainty."
Watling's is not the only settled position now and New Zealand are in good shape to try to add to their four Test wins in England. A series victory would continue to raise the profile of New Zealand's cricketers, who stepped out of the shadow of the country's rugby players during the World Cup. Watling was included in the initial 30-man squad but didn't feature in the tournament. But it was still a great experience from the outside.
"We were playing four-day cricket at the time so we would finish and get the TV on to watch the boys," Watling says. "They just kept playing entertaining cricket and it was awesome to see them doing well. They made the county proud.
"The buzz around New Zealand was brilliant. I'm sure we gained a few more fans and hopefully we can grow the game from here and especially keep the kids involved. Rugby is obviously our number one game but hopefully we're starting to grow the fan base and maybe off the back of the World Cup we can steal a few of those rugby players who are decent cricketers too."

Alex Winter is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo He tweets here