Cam Williams - concentrate, consolidate and crunch
Boneo Cricket Club | July 03, 2023
Cam Williams has played all his junior and senior cricket with Boneo Cricket Club in the Mornington Peninsula Cricket Association.
A terrifically loyal servant Cameron still takes the new ball for the 1stXI. Let’s find out more about Cam’s journey in the game so far.
What year you were born?
1975
Can you remember you first game of cricket?
I would have just turned 8, in the under 12’s at Boneo. I was taken down to training by a neighbour up the road, Glen McKenzie, apparently I used to bowl spin (probably couldn’t get my arm over) can’t remember my first game, too long ago.
Tell us briefly about your cricketing journey?
Been a one club player, about 360 + senior games for Boneo, plus all my juniors was played at Boneo as well. On top of that I got into a few representative sides as well, from U12’s and a Victorian Schoolboys Under 19’s twice as well.
In which grade and at what age did you make your debut in senior cricket?
In the Boneo 6th in 1987/88 which was ‘I’ grade back then. It was with my dad (Neil Williams - most people on the Peninsula know of him) he dropped himself down to play and take me to the games. We won back to back premierships with pretty close to the same team both times (second time in ‘H’ grade) a lot of ‘those older guys’ taught me how to love the game of cricket, which also went with me into other sports...
At what age did you make your first grade debut in grade/local cricket and can you remember how you performed in debut?
I started playing in the first grade in 1993/94 under the great Gary Cooper (who taught me in primary school at Boneo). I opened the bowling with maybe Kenny ‘Texan’ Taylor at the other end, can’t remember which game it was, I would have batted 11, and the records don’t go back that far.
If you can share with our audience, how would you describe yourself as a cricketer?
I’m a Bowling all-rounder... the older I get the better at batting I get....
What were your strengths as a player?
Endurance and the ability to usually workout a batsman as a bowler, and batting I try to hit the ball hard.
What was your highest score in senior cricket?
My one and only hundred was in the 3rds up at the chip in the late 90’s against Red Hill. It was about 119.
What were your best bowling figures in senior cricket?
For Boneo v Train Tracks Seaford – 7 for 77 when Faisal Payenda was captain. Their number 11 lap sweeped me to win the game, it was on the same day Anthony Blackwell got his 10 fa for Sorrento
Who were the best three fast bowlers you have played against?
2 Boneo Boys - Glenn Collett, and Jack Fowler. Both generate great heat, and can hold a bat. I won a league medal off the back of Glenn Collett, when sides couldn’t play him, they would try attack me, so I got allot of wickets like that. And Jack bowls a great length which is hard to get on top of, and Andrew Kitson, a bit of inspiration for me, still bowled at a good clip at 48/49 years of age and got a 9 fa at 48, so still a couple years for me yet...
Who were the best three spinners you have played against?
Again an ex-Boneo Boy, Leigh Janssen. As an off spinner in our league they definitely get a lot of hard swings at them, and for him to jump up to Provincial and still dominate and not get smashed very often, is testament to the way he can adapt himself to each situation. And Ravi Palleguruge from Rye - it’s very hard to pick it out of his hand, and bowls great lines.
Who were the best 3 batsman you’ve played against?
Jim Boyd – he has made some big hundreds against us for Train Tracks Seaford and Peninsula Old Boys. You can get a chance early on... but if you don’t take it, you have no chance to bring it back in.
Daniel Polson- Hits the ball hard all day long. A game when he played for Carrum, he was hitting tracer bullets to the fence. We had a guy (Josh Gana – keeper for Rye now) standing on the fence at long off and Daniel hit it no higher than 6 foot off the ground. The ball exploded thru Josh’s hands and went over for 6. In the same innings he hit the ball into his foot, so hard he couldn’t run any more. We offered a runner, or for him to hopefully go off, but he said nah all good, he was on about 90, so then without really running again, put another 90 odd runs onto his total, without a care in the world, I don’t think we got him out...
Nick ‘Chicko” Christides – Always came out of the blocks hard, first ball of the day could be 6 or it could be a hard hit catch, ether way is was a high strike rate. One game at Boneo there was 10 overs left in the day for them to bat and by the end of the 10th over he was already on 100. Lucky Delacombe Park were only on about 120, so we still had some runs up our selves for the following week...
Who played the best innings you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
Stu Peck. A one day game at the end of the season v Frankston East in maybe 2003/04.
The loser would be relegated and he made in quick time a 140 chanceless runs hitting them to all angles of the park
Was there any batsman/bowler in particular who for whatever reason always seemed to cause you a few problems?
As far as bowlers, Matt Burns from Flinders always had a day out against us. There wouldn’t be many times he finished his day with less than 5 wickets
Batting wise Jim Boyd, Daniel Polson, Chicko, and Simon Dart. If we didn’t get Simon early he would just anchor down an innings and try control it.
Who was the best wicket keeper you’ve seen firsthand playing with or against?
Spencer Byatt, a young English lad we got out for 2 seasons from England. He was 19 when he came out and making his way up thru the county ranks. His hands were the cleanest ever and he could hold a bat as well. He was asked to play in the MPCA country week 2nds team without even trying out for it, people could just see how good he was.
Who are the two players you admired most in terms of skills and competitive spirit in the competitions you played?
Simon Dart from Red Hill has a very strong all-round game. Bats, bowls and fields very well. I haven’t seen him keep but he probably could if needed.
Stu Peck, defiantly one of the best bats the competition has seen. Could bowl whatever he put his mind to and swing both ways, spin both ways, excellent in slips, and could keep as well...
Who was the best captain you had the good fortune to play with?
Stu Peck again, one of his philosophy's was when we were on the field and if we were in trouble, he’d give me the ball (lol) and he could read the game very well. Leigh Lowry would come in a close second as well.
Who has been your funniest team mate?
Adam Collett always seemed to have a different way of looking at things and keeping the mood up on the ground... which usually carried over to ‘off’ the field as well
Can you recall some banter or an exchange on the cricket field that still makes you laugh today?
Late in the 2017/18 season Boneo v Dromana at Dromana Jack Beale came in at 3 batting with Jobbo. I was at square leg umpiring and Pappas from the slips notices that Jack had a lot of very dark cherries on his bat and as players do when they find something about a batsman they can lock on to it and when Jack played and missed a few balls, he chirped “This guy must have asked Santa for some batting technique, and all he got was black coal in his stocking to hit around, with those black cherries it looks like he’s learnt to hit the wrong thing.”
Jack unfortunately missed the next couple balls, which only encouraged Pappas more... about “bowling him some black coal to hit” - he was a one man show with, but geez it was funny!
Then there’s one with Craig Kepple when he was at Hastings and I was batting against Tim Birch. I blocked the first one, Kepps then said, “I’m getting bored Cammo can you entertain me.”So next ball went out of the park, to which Kepps said, “not bad where’s this one going”, to which I said, “it depends where he bowls it. If it’s that side of the pitch, it’ll go over those sponsor signs, or that side if it's over there.” So the next 3 balls also went out of the park, when “Lizard” who was the keeper, said “I think you’re my new favourite player.” Needless to say Tim didn’t see the funny side of it...
Who was your childhood hero?
Dean Jones was a great aggressive batter. Greg Chappell was a great bat. Terry Aldermen came back from injury to play for Australia.
Who are the three sports people in the world you’d most like to meet?
Ken Griffy Jnr, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bo Jackson
Who’s your favourite cricket commentator?
Ricky Ponting – just knows what is going to happen before it does
What was your favourite ground to play at?
Apart from Panda Park at Boneo, Main Ridge
What’s been your most memorable moment in cricket?
About 10 years ago against Pines the scores were level and they had 3 wickets left in the shed. I took 3 wickets in 4 balls to tie the game. And a 110 run 10th wicket stand with Chris Jobling v Rosebud in about 2007/08
2002/03- 2012/13 Boneo Cricket Club Team of the Decade
What’s the best win you’ve been involved with?
Against Carrum semi-final we defended 315 with Carrum making 305 in reply on a hot dusty ground at Carrum. The crowds were very vocal and everyone was very fiery...
Who are the three players from your playing days at the top of the list for a Saturday afternoon barbeque?
David Code – is the Barbie King, Straunie for light entertainment and Big Jai, so we can learn the ways of the leg side stumping...
What are your hobbies?
Outside of cricket, Baseball, Running and Golf
What’s the best advice you’ve received?
Do one thing of recovery the day after a game, whether it’s stretching, running, light weights and to keep yourself going. For batting from Rodger Spaull, the 3 C’s concentrate, consolidate and crunch!
Sometimes I skip the first 2... and bowling from Greg Shipperd, “you can change the top half of the body but not your feet so adjust your arms and shoulders to suit your feet.”
What is your occupation?
With my brother we own a studio in Sorrento called Ocean Fitness. We do Pilates, Massage, Personal Training and Exercise Physiology. We’ve been there for about 20 years now
Are you still involved in cricket and if so, in what capacity?
I still play in the firsts at Boneo. Open the bowling and coaching the U10’s and Woollies Blast Kids
If you were running a state cricket association what would your 2 priorities to ensure cricket in the state remained strong and successful on and off the field?
Having representative cricket from juniors to seniors like they have now with the 2 tiers in juniors and more mid-week T20 games
