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Kane To Return As Overseas Signing

3 April 2012

Kane Williamson is to return to Gloucestershire as overseas player for the first part of the coming season and will be replaced by another New Zealander for the second half of the campaign.

The young Kiwi proved a popular member of the dressing room last season and averaged 36 in 23 LV=County Championship innings, which yielded 831 runs.

Kane was also a regular in 40-over and Twenty20 cricket for Gloucestershire in 2011 and since then has boosted his international career in all formats.

He will not be available for the first three Championship games of this season, but is schduled to arrive in time for the first four-day home game against Glamorgan, starting on April 26.

Kane should be here for most, if not all, of Gloucestershire's T20 campaign, before leaving to take part in New Zealand's tour to West Indies.

Under an agreement with the New Zealand Cricket Board, another highly-rated young Kiwi player will then be sent over to replace him.

Gloucestershire's Director of Cricket John Bracewell told this website: "I'm delighted Kane is retuning and only wish we had him straight away for our opening three Championship fixtures.

"He is taking an enforced holiday because of the amount of cricket he has been playing for New Zealand, but we will have him for the T20 as well as some four-day games and he proved a very good fit in our dressing room last season.

"Since then he has developed in all three formats of the game for the New Zealand side and that reflects great credit on him, as well as showing the benefit of his time with us.

"When Kane leaves the probability is that we shall get another New Zealand contracted player, but one who hasn't made the tour party to West Indies."

Skipper Alex Gidman also welcomed news of Kane's return. "He was a really good addition to the squad last year and is a class act, who has obviously improved this winter, as his century against South Africa proved.

"I see his arrival as a bonus because we already have a very talented pool of players. It may be a relatively small and young squad, but I am excited by the ability within it.

"Kane has a great work ethic. He wants to bat for as long as he can and score as many runs as possible and that rubbed off on all of us last summer."

Chief Executive Tom Richardson added: "Kane will fit in seamlessly. He contributed a lot off the field as well as on it last year and on the back of his hundred against South Africa and some great catches we will be delighted to see him back."

A spokesman for New Zealand Cricket said: "We are pleased to again have the opportunity to work with Gloucestershire to develop our next generation of international cricketers.

"This partnership provides New Zealanders with the opportunity to play in and experience the pressures of a world class competition on a day to day basis, which can only assist them in transition to becoming successful international players."

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