Young gun Kelvin Smith set to make Redbacks debut against Queensland tomorrow
YOUNG gun Kelvin Smith will make his first-class debut for SA against Queensland at Glenelg Oval tomorrow.
ONE of the most exciting young batsmen in the country will make his first-class debut for SA against Queensland at Glenelg Oval tomorrow.
Kelvin Smith, 19, has earned his spot in the Redbacks line-up for the season-opening Sheffield Shield match after making a mountain of runs over the past two months at Grade level, in the SACA Premier League and for the Australian under-19 team.
He averaged a team-high 65.75 during a four-team international under-19 series in India last month, which included knocks of 139 and 74, before backing that up with scores of 172 for West Torrens and 101 for Western Grit.
"I was just over the moon to be selected," says Smith, who is a Redbacks rookie.
"I wasn't expecting it this soon.
"I'd made some runs but you always think maybe it's not enough."
It was no so long ago that Smith was dreaming of representing his state while hitting cover drives on a concrete pitch his dad, Kevin, created at their Bow Hill onion farm, near Murray Bridge.
Growing up, Kelvin and his brother, former Redback James, 25, would practise there for hours on end, feeding each other balls through a bowling machine.
Smith knows all his hard work over the years is now paying off.
"When you're a kid you want to do this (play for SA)
"Representing your state is a massive honour."
Smith made his A-grade debut for West Torrens during the 2010/11 season at the ripe age of 16.
That same summer he blasted 285 for Prince Alfred College in a First XI school match.
Last season he trained with the emerging Redbacks, scored 181 for West Torrens against Kensington and 170 for SA's Futures League team against NSW.
But just when Smith was seemingly on top of his game, he was brought back to earth.
The Underdale resident was dropped for an Australian under-19 quad-series in Darwin in June on the back of some "scratchy" batting on an April tour of New Zealand.
"It was a bit of a wake-up call," Smith says.
"I probably didn't take my opportunity like I could have and ended up having to go backwards to try to fight my way back in.
"The one thing I've remembered from that is to take your opportunities because they don't always come around and you don't always get second chances."
Smith plans to take that attitude into the game against Queensland.
"Chuck (Redbacks coach Darren Berry) rang me up and told me to keep batting how I've batted.
"I've just got to do what I've done to get here."
Watching Smith's first-class debut from the stands will be his parents, sister and grandparents, as well as his brother, who played 27 Shield matches for the Redbacks and is Kelvin's cricket idol.
"My old man has always been there to help me out and been a massive figure, so has West Torrens captain Trent Kelly," he says.
"But everything that my brother did I looked up to him in every single way.
"Every time I made a team that he made it meant a fair bit.
"To play Shield cricket, knowing that he's done it is massive and I know he's proud of me."