By David Nagel
It will come as no surprise to anyone that knows him that Jason Williams would play down his own achievements and share the plaudits with others after his epic eight-wicket haul for Pakenham (0/27) against Devon Meadows (160) on Saturday.
The 37-year-old, known to most as Boof, returned the best bowling figures of his career (20.5-8-47-8) in a spell-binding performance that can only be described as brilliant.
But not by the man himself.
“To be honest, I didn’t really bowl that well,” the off-spinner said with a familiar chuckle.
“I bowled a lot of half trackers, and a few full tosses as well; I was just trying to turn it as much as I could.
“It was just one of those days where the boys fielded well and I was the beneficiary of some good bowling from the young blokes, Jordy (Seers) and Marcus (Martini) at the other end.
“They were bowling really tight, so the batsmen came harder at me and made my figures look better than they probably should have been.
“It’s good to get eight wickets, but I had quite a bit of help from the young blokes.”
After winning the toss and batting, Devon Meadows started well against the Lions with openers Lucas Ligt (27) and promising youngster Will Halton (55) putting on a 45-run partnership.
The left-right combination complemented each other beautifully, with the Lions struggling to bowl tight lines
Skipper Dale Tormey set a concentrated 7-2 off-side field, but any pressure was released with several balls drifting onto the leg side.
The Lions upped their game after 10 overs, with keeper Rob Elston coming up to the stumps which seemed to change the momentum somewhat.
It was a tactic employed successfully by Tooradin keeper Ben Parrott last week, and it worked again, with a free-flowing scoring rate slowing down as a consequence.
It just added a different element to think about for the batters.
The Lions renewed consistency and tight lines – and Elston’s presence – would soon pay dividends, with Ligt pulling a short ball from James Close (9-1-25-1) into the safe hands of Jordan Seers at square leg.
That’s when tickets to the ‘Jason Williams Show’ were clipped.
‘Boof’ would take the next four wickets to fall, before handing over to Seers who removed the classy Halton to make the score 6/119.
Williams would then take back control, claiming the last four wickets to fall.
The talented right-handed all-rounder played his first senior game for Pakenham in 2003.
He played two seasons at Cranbourne in the DDCA from 2009 to 2011, before making the move back to Toomuc.
He is one of the most respected figures in the WGCA/CCCA over the last two decades, with his laconic nature and smiling face attracting many fans to his supporter base.
“I do love it, and having the backing of my wife (Bree) is something I really do appreciate; I’ve always had the mentality that you’re a long time retired in anything that you do,” he said.
“I don’t take sport, or life, that seriously, and if you’re going to play sport you may as well have some fun while you’re doing it.
“I love to have a joke with the boys…and I think it helps my cricket as well.
“Things sort of flow on from being relaxed, and having fun is a big part of that.”
Williams has a beautifully smooth bowling action…one that he has honed himself over the years.
It took him from behind the stumps…to bowling at them.
“I was a keeper through the junior years, and just started mucking around and bowling off-spin with a few mates,” he said.
“I would keep for 20 overs, then rip off the pads and bowl a few overs and it just grew from there.
“I’ve just worked on my technique over the years, found what’s worked for me, and haven’t changed my action like I did five times through my twenties.
“From 30 onwards, I found the action that I’ve got now…and it seems to work.”
The Lions’ eight-wicket hero has a simple philosophy when trotting in to the bowling crease.
“My biggest thing is that I try to turn it as much as possible,” he explained.
“Everything flows from that; if I can get through my action and try to give it a rip, the flight and drift all stem from that.
“It’s great to have the confidence of blokes like Rob (Elston), Dale (Tormey) and Dom (Paynter), who don’t mind if I get hit for a few runs.
“That’s part and parcel of trying to bowl the way I do and how the leaders allow me to.
“If I get it right, I can get some turn and bounce and that probably makes me the bowler that I am and a bit different to others.
“I used to bowl a lot flatter and try to bowl dot balls, but with the backing of those blokes I’ve tried to give it more of a rip.
“It’s a lot more rewarding on the days when you bowl really well, but sometimes you can bowl 100 good balls, then one bad ball gets a wicket.
“I bowled a few bad balls that got wickets on the weekend.”
Williams has two premierships with the Lions, and he and Bree have two children, with Taj, seven, and Jai, three-and-a-half months, bringing a wonderful joy to life.
Williams believes a third premiership is well and truly within reach.
“I’d like to think so…with the calibre of players that we’ve got we have to be a chance,” he said.
“Dale (Tormey) and Smithy (Chris Smith) are elite players; Jack (Anning) has come on in leaps and bounds; Rob (Elston) is all class, and we’ve got Dom (Paynter) and Stu (Johnson) come in as batters, when we probably felt we were one or two short last year.
“We feel like we can make the runs now, but we just need to be there when finals come around.
“Tooradin and Koowee look the benchmarks again…but I think we’re thereabouts.”
Williams said he felt no extra responsibility with the younger players finding their feet.
“Not really…the kids are learning their craft, and sometimes it’s not easy for them because we’re still a pretty good team,” he said.
“If they were playing in lesser sides, they’d probably be bowling more, but it’s a catch-22 because they’re playing in a team where they get to pick our brains and learn off us older guys as well.
“We’re trying to pass the baton on a bit; and they can watch the way we go about it and start to have more of an impact as they learn.
“The wheel is turning; now the young guys have first crack and we’re there to fall back on if needed.
“We’re giving them more of the responsibility…and we’re always there to support them.
“I got the rewards this week, and Dale (Tormey) has at times as well, but it’s on the back of those younger guys having first shot.
“They’ll get rewarded for their hard work one day, if they just keep sticking at it.”
And when they do get their rewards…the self-effacing Jason ‘Boof’ Williams will be the first to pat them on the back.
