A successful career with the Canberra Raiders put that dream on hold for a number of years.

That all changed this year when the 31-year-old retired from the NRL and the opportunity to pursue his second passion emerged.

Williams joined North Canberra Gungahlin for the summer and set himself two goals. The first was to lead the Eagles to a drought-breaking first-grade premiership. The second was to score a century.

MORE CANBERRA SPORT

The team goal remains a work in progress, the side falling agonisingly short in the one-day final, however the middle-order batsman ticked the second goal off the list on Saturday.

Walking to the crease with his side at 3-46 and in major trouble as it chased Tuggeranong Valley's 338, Williams knew it was up to him to save the match.

What followed was a marathon innings lasting nearly six hours, the middle-order batsman scoring an unbeaten 126 off 241 to lead the Eagles to 9-227 and an unlikely draw.

"I know that I missed out on a large portion of my career because I didn't get to play cricket," Williams said.

"I wanted to try and get a score before the window closes. It was massive achieving that on Saturday.

"It was going to be a hollow feeling if we didn't get the result. The innings would have meant nothing to myself and the team. Once we got through the final over it was a bit of relief. We didn't win but sometimes a draw is just as exciting."

Saturday's draw ensures the side remains in touch with the top four in the two-day competition and they currently sit third with two matches to play in the Twenty20 season.

"The main goal has always been to win a competition with the club," Williams said.

"I'd love nothing more than to win a competition with North Canberra Gungahlin."

Queanbeyan 8-230 bt Ginninderra 229

Weston Creek Molonglo 237 and 3-134 bt ANU 169

Eastlake 6-(dec)-351 bt Western District 187

Tuggeranong Valley 338 drew with North Canberra Gungahlin 9-227

We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: