Selectors no longer could ignore a weight of runs and have buckled under pressure to reward Jake Williams with a Tasmanian debut against South Australia ahead of the final Futures Leagues fixture of the state second XI season.
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The plasterer by trade that has smoothed over batting cracks for Greater Northern Raiders this season will seek to ask for time away in next week's match at Glenelg Oval that commences on Monday.
Andrew Gower had got the call on Wednesday night to inform the Raiders coach of the first player of the Cricket Tasmania second-year club to be picked for the state.
"I'm rapt for him and just rapt for our program to be in a situation where we can contribute to Tassie cricket," Gower said.
"That's what the program is about because the Raiders were set up to provide an opportunity for these guys to play Futures League and get a state contract, eventually. That's a tick for our program."
The 19-year-old hit 140 in the fourth game last season for the Raiders that pushed his name into calculations to grab one of the rookie spots for the Hobart Hurricanes.
Williams passed 50 only one more time in the club's debut campaign to tally 383 runs at an average of 27.36.
Nearly a full season on, the Westbury recruit has scored another century (118) with four half-centuries in his last 10 games to score 609 runs at 38.10 - the fifth most runs in Premier League first grade.
ELSEWHERE IN SPORT
"To be able to achieve that at the end of the season is fantastic," Gower said.
"But I think weight of runs goes a long way to actually getting you selected.
"He's been knocking down the door with consistency.
"They've talked about Jake getting hundreds, being consistent and he has done that."
Gower had set a goal to elevate one of his players into Tasmanian colours at the start of the season.
Casting history aside for the Raiders, he believed the selection will give renewed hope that the selectors have form players in their sights.
"Guys who will turn up to games and every time we're playing the Premier League, we're on show," Gower said.
"There's someone in Hobart who's talking to someone else. That's what we talk about as a group: every time you go out there, you're on show for something bigger."
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Andrew Mathieson
The day I realised I wasn't good enough to play for St Kilda or be the No.1 spinner for Australia was when I realised journalism was the closest I could come to follow my passion for sport. And it's not just about the scores for me. It's the back story behind the game.
The day I realised I wasn't good enough to play for St Kilda or be the No.1 spinner for Australia was when I realised journalism was the closest I could come to follow my passion for sport. And it's not just about the scores for me. It's the back story behind the game.
