Will Williams, a qualified pilot and seasoned seam bowler from Christchurch, is ready to lead Gloucestershire’s fresh pace attack in the upcoming cricket season. At 32, Williams recently signed a three-year contract with Gloucestershire after a similar tenure with Lancashire.
Set to partner Australian import Gabe Bell as the new-ball bowlers, both are vital to Gloucestershire’s seam bowling after the team saw six bowlers depart during the offseason. Departures include Ajeet Singh Dale, Zaman Akhter, Archie Bailey, Josh Shaw, Tom Price, and Dom Goodman. This reduction highlights Williams and Bell, alongside veteran Matt Taylor and returning Craig Miles, as the core seam bowling options, with support from young talent Daz Ahmed and Ben Charlesworth, who has regained full fitness.
“We have an excellent chance to build strong chemistry as a unit,” Williams said. “Many of us have been bowling well in pre-season, and I hope we can carry this form forward. Gabe’s Sheffield Shield performances have been impressive, and I’m keen to bowl alongside him.”
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Williams showed his potential during a recent South Africa tour, delivering 4 wickets for 5 runs against Hampshire, dismantling their top order. “The ball came out well that day,” he said. “I want to keep delivering performances like that, make Gloucestershire better as a team, and enjoy my time playing here.”
He acknowledges he is not the fastest bowler but relies on accuracy and disciplined line and length to claim wickets. “My strength lies in control rather than express pace. While I use the occasional bouncer to keep batsmen honest, my main tactic is maintaining a tight line on the top of off stump.”
Williams intends to be available across all formats, putting in his wholehearted effort for team success while leaving selection decisions to the coaches. Developed through Canterbury’s system in New Zealand, Williams played ten years there before moving to England due to his dual UK-New Zealand citizenship. His partner’s career and the appeal of England’s county cricket drew him to Lancashire and now Gloucestershire.
Shifting to England meant relinquishing ambitions to play for New Zealand’s strong pace attack featuring Trent Boult, Tim Southee, and Kyle Jamieson. “It was hard to break into such a talented lineup. I decided what was best for me and my partner, and moving here was the right choice.”
At Lancashire, Williams took 99 first-class wickets at an average of 24.29 but struggled to hold a regular place, playing only three Championship matches last season. “Playing alongside a great group was rewarding, but with stars like Jimmy Anderson around, opportunities were limited.”
Now, Williams’ focus is on Gloucestershire and Bristol, where he has family ties and fond memories from playing WEPL cricket for Bridgwater. “Bristol is a fantastic place to live, and so far it has lived up to all I’d heard.”
Away from cricket, Williams is an experienced pilot, having earned his license and flight instructor rating over several years in New Zealand. He previously worked as a flight instructor before losing that role during the COVID-19 pandemic. Though flying opportunities have been limited since, he hopes to resume eventually after dedicating himself fully to cricket in the near term.