Son of Boof's grand amibitons

Asked to provide a self-assessment of the batting style and approach that has carried him to a rookie contract with South Australia for the coming summer, Jake Lehmann’s response reflects his pedigree as surely as it does his peer group.

“I’m a pretty positive kind of character – I don’t like to get bogged down,” the 21-year-old told cricket.com.au on the day the West End Redbacks’ final contract list was announced.

“I like to take on the bowling.”

Anyone who saw his father, incumbent Australian coach Darren Lehmann, wield the bat for his country, his state or county teams would recognise that as the philosophy of the man who scored more Bupa Sheffield Shield runs than any other – a remarkable 13,635 at an average of almost 55.

And more than 14,000 in all forms of the game for Yorkshire in a decade as the famous county’s beloved overseas import.

While Jake Lehmann presents a slightly leaner, little-bit-more orthodox version of his dad he nurses  the same ambition that Darren nursed from the time he was named in Australia’s Test squad as a teenager through to his eventual debut in a baggy green cap eight years later.

Asked whether he harboured a preference for the short form of the game, where his father largely built his career as a creative and innovative middle-order batsman who played in two successful World Cup finals, Jake Lehmann set himself no limits.

“I will definitely take any opportunities that come my way, I’m not going to say no to anything,” he said.

“But obviously for a young kid growing up, the pinnacle of the game is Test cricket.

“So I would love to play Sheffield Shield cricket first and I reckon if you asked any young cricketer, that’s the path that most would say is the one they would aim to take.

“It’s the form of the game that you would want to play the most.”

Having emulated his father by earning his place in first grade cricket as a teenager – albeit with East Torrens rather than the Northern Districts club where Darren remains a favourite son – Jake made the most of his opportunities in last summer’s Toyota Futures League.

After his East Torrens’ mentor Wayne Bradbrook – a former teammate and coach of his dad at grade level – pushed him up the batting order, Jake got a chance to bat at No.3 for SA towards the end of the Toyota Futures League season and finished as SA’s leading scorer.

His four-match return of 255 runs at 36 was enough to gain the attention of the West Ends Redbacks’ coaching staff, and he was thrilled if a little surprised to get a call from SA coach Darren Berry and cricket director Jamie Cox – who sits second on the list of all-time Shield runs scorers – to tell him of his contract success.

Shortly after, he received a message from a justifiably proud dad.

“I’ve been speaking to him over the last month or so as (contract) talks began,” Jake said.

“He’s been really positive, and just been a dad really.

“He hasn’t gone out of his way to get involved, and he just sent me a message when we found out to say he was proud of me.

“So he hasn’t really been putting his nose in there too much, which has been good.”

A quick glance around the batting talent that the Redbacks have mustered for the coming summer – including Phil Hughes, Mark Cosgrove, Callum Ferguson, Tom Cooper, Travis Head and veteran Andrew McDonald – suggests cracking a first XI cap will be tough.

But with the prospect of his first pre-season regime at state level and the knowledge that his Human Movement studies at the University of South Australia will have to be put on hold for half a year, Jake Lehmann is looking forward rather than askance.

“I’m just pretty excited to be in the squad,” he said when asked how far ahead he was allowing himself to look.

“We start in June some time so I’m looking to have a good pre-season with something new that I haven’t done before and to be around some talented players, and learning a few new things that will help better my cricket as well.

“They’ve obviously stocked the batting with quite a few young kids including Trav (Head), Sam (Raphael) and (Kelvin) and Smith as well as the experienced guys, so there’s a fair bit of batting.

“But making runs is the only way you’re going to get into that side.

“So my goal is to keep going back to grade cricket and Futures League and (SA) Premier League and just trying to make runs.”

It’s the same answer his father repeated ad nauseum when asked when his chance at Test level would eventually come.

And come it did.