Ralph Williams (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Ralph Augustin Williams was an English
cricket
er and barrister
. Williams was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium pace
. He was born in Caversham
, Berkshire
.
Educated at Winchester College
, Williams made a single Minor Counties Championship appearance for Buckinghamshire
against Oxfordshire
in 1895. He played for Oxfordshire in the 1896 season
, making 3 appearances in the Minor Counties Championship. The season after that, he joined Berkshire
, who he made his debut for against Wiltshire
in the Minor Counties Championship. Following his education at Winchester College, Williams undertook studies at University College, Oxford
. It was in 1899 that he made his first-class
debut for Oxford University
against Worcestershire
. He made 11 further first-class appearances for the university, the last of which came against Cambridge University
in 1902. In his 12 first-class matches for the university, he scored 443 runs at an average
of 23.31, with a high score of 65. This score, one of four fifties he scored for the university, came against Ireland in 1902. With the ball, he took 22 wickets at a bowling average
of 34.90, with best figures of 5/30. These figures, which were his only five wickt haul for the university, came against Surrey
in 1902.
In late 1902, he toured India
with a Oxford University Authentics team, playing 3 first-class matches on the tour, one each against Bombay, the Parsees
and the Gentlemen of India. The tour was a successful one for Williams, with him scoring 141 runs at an average of 28.20, with the tour including his only first-class century
, a score of 105 which came against Bombay. He was equally as successful with the ball, taking 18 wickets at an average of 18.38, which included two five wicket hauls. Williams continued to play Minor counties cricket for Berkshire until 1904, when he made his final appearance for the county against Glamorgan
in that seasons Minor Counties Championship.
A barrister by profession, Williams was appointed to the Inner Temple
in 1903.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er and barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
. Williams was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium pace
Seam bowling
Seam bowling is a phrase used for a bowling technique in cricket whereby the ball is deliberately bowled on to its seam, to cause a random deviation. Practitioners are known as seam bowlers or seamers....
. He was born in Caversham
Caversham, Berkshire
Caversham is a suburb and former village in the unitary authority of Reading, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, within the royal county of Berkshire, on the opposite bank from the rest of Reading...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
.
Educated at Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
, Williams made a single Minor Counties Championship appearance for Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire County Cricket Club
Buckinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Buckinghamshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy. The Minor Counties play...
against Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire County Cricket Club
Oxfordshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Oxfordshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
in 1895. He played for Oxfordshire in the 1896 season
1896 English cricket season
The 1896 English cricket season saw Yorkshire win the County Championship title after only losing three of 26 games, setting a points percentage record with 68.42...
, making 3 appearances in the Minor Counties Championship. The season after that, he joined Berkshire
Berkshire County Cricket Club
Berkshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Berkshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and MCCA Knockout Trophy....
, who he made his debut for against Wiltshire
Wiltshire County Cricket Club
Wiltshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Wiltshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy....
in the Minor Counties Championship. Following his education at Winchester College, Williams undertook studies at University College, Oxford
University College, Oxford
.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
. It was in 1899 that he made his first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
debut for Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
against Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
. He made 11 further first-class appearances for the university, the last of which came against Cambridge University
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
in 1902. In his 12 first-class matches for the university, he scored 443 runs at an average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of 23.31, with a high score of 65. This score, one of four fifties he scored for the university, came against Ireland in 1902. With the ball, he took 22 wickets at a bowling average
Bowling average
Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...
of 34.90, with best figures of 5/30. These figures, which were his only five wickt haul for the university, came against Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
in 1902.
In late 1902, he toured India
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
with a Oxford University Authentics team, playing 3 first-class matches on the tour, one each against Bombay, the Parsees
Parsees cricket team
The Parsees cricket team was an Indian first-class cricket team which took part in the annual Bombay tournament. The team was founded by members of the Zoroastrian community in Bombay....
and the Gentlemen of India. The tour was a successful one for Williams, with him scoring 141 runs at an average of 28.20, with the tour including his only first-class century
Century (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a batsman reaches his century when he scores 100 or more runs in a single innings. The term is also included in "century partnership" which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together. A century is regarded as a landmark score for...
, a score of 105 which came against Bombay. He was equally as successful with the ball, taking 18 wickets at an average of 18.38, which included two five wicket hauls. Williams continued to play Minor counties cricket for Berkshire until 1904, when he made his final appearance for the county against Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
in that seasons Minor Counties Championship.
A barrister by profession, Williams was appointed to the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
in 1903.
External links
- Ralph Williams at ESPNcricinfo
- Ralph Williams at CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...