This month, we’re looking back on the careers of several black cricketers who made an enormous impact during their time at Middlesex. We continue our series today by shining the spotlight on Neil Williams…
Neil Fitzgerald Williams was born on 2nd July 1962 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Williams joined Middlesex and made his county debut in 1982 after spending a year-and-a-half as a MCC Young Professional whilst plying his trade for Hornsey Cricket Club.
Spending 14 years at the Club, Williams played a key part in winning four County Championship titles as well as the Benson & Hedges Cup in 1983 and the 1992 Sunday League.
1990 saw him make his only Test appearance against India at the Oval after Chris Lewis withdrew following a migraine. He took two wickets in the match including Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammad Azharuddin.
He had a benefit season in 1994 and headed east the following year, where he played for Essex until his retirement from cricket in 1998.
Making 390 appearances for Middlesex across both First-Class and List-A cricket, Williams took 684 wickets for the Club with best figures of 8/75.
This performance came in the summer of 1992, when Gloucestershire were the visitors to Lord’s.
Middlesex won the toss and elected to bowl first, dismissing the visitors for 322 – with Williams taking 4/64 – before making 255 in reply.
Williams then went on to take 8/75 in Gloucestershire’s second innings, helping bowl them out for 141 with only Mark Alleyne and Bob Dawson not being falling to the right-arm medium-fast bowler. Middlesex went on to win the match by five wickets.
At the age of 43, Williams tragically passed away following a three-week stint in hospital after a stroke.
