Humidity made winning World Cup even better!

THIS WEEK... JORDAN WILLIAMS England Physical Disability, Denton St Lawrence

Age: 24 How did you first get involved with physical disability cricket?

I have played cricket as long as I can remember, and I used to play for a local club called Denton West. From there I was scouted by Lancashire and asked to come down and have a trial. I was picked up by Neil Bradshaw, who was England team manager at the time and I was invited to an England trial at Malvern College. That was back in 2012. I have been in the squad ever since, I am a right-arm swing bowler and then a left-handed batsman down the order so I contribute on all levels. How quickly did you progress through the England ranks? As I was a little older when I was spotted, I was ready to play for England so it was a very quick transformation. I had my trial in June 2012, then by July I was making my debut. It was a whirlwind few months and a very special time. I made my debut against the Army, and walking out was amazing. It is always a very special moment to play for England because not many people get to represent their country. I am proud to see how many people have been on similar journeys to me and make it in the game. How big a part has cricket played in your life? Due to my injuries, I cannot play football in case I get hurt, so cricket was what I turned to in order to play sport. I have no fibula in my left leg and I have half a foot basically. I used to go and watch my dad, Nigel, play local stuff from a young age. I am a twin too, and my brother Jamie and I have played together since we were small boys. How else are you involved in the game? I spend a lot of time coaching, and that plays a big part in my life. I have coached since leaving school at 16 and I love helping the junior sides improve. I take drills from what I have learnt with England into that and it really pays off. I also tell people to enjoy their cricket as much as possible, and if you do that you will get the most out of it. What is your career highlight? Playing mainstream and disability cricket at senior level is huge. When I was a kid I used to watch my brother play sport, and it was hard but we have played together in the side and for years. It has made a big difference. Captaining the England side out in Dubai against Bangladesh last year was massive too. I was put in for it because of injuries and we won – I was man of the match too. I had never been a leader before so it was exciting, and then to cap it off I hit the winning runs. What is the biggest challenge you have faced? When we won the World Cup in 2014, it was very tough to be out playing in Bangladesh. We were not used to the heat or humidity and you can’t prepare for it, it is incredible. Being able to overcome that and win the tournament was amazing! What will 2017 bring? We have got about 12 matches lined up around the summer against academies, and then hopefully we will go on tour. That would be amazing and really help us improve. We want to win as much as we can and keep enjoying it.