[2][3] Arnold Williams, "entertaining as a batsman of the punishing type and brilliant as a wicket-keeper",[4] made his first-class debut for Otago against Canterbury in 1886–87 at the age of 17.

[7] A few weeks later, in his first first-class match for Wellington, he scored 163 against Canterbury, an innings the Evening Post reporter described as "magnificent ... stamps him as being at the present time the best batsman in the colony".

On a difficult pitch, against hostile fast bowling by Johnny Douglas and Percy May, Williams made 72 not out in the second innings, the highest score of the match, putting on 107 for the fifth wicket with Alf Hadden.

At one stage a blow to the elbow "disabled him for some minutes",[12] but he continued to play "an innings of outstanding courage and skill".

[14] When the cricket historian Tom Reese chose the best New Zealand team of all time in 1936, he named Williams as wicket-keeper.