William Oates (cricketer, born 1929)

William Oates (born 17 July 1929) is an English former cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-pace bowler who played first-class cricket for Derbyshire between 1950 and 1954.

Oates made his debut for Derbyshire in the 1950 season against Lancashire, scoring 17 in his first innings. He played a total of six matches in that season and took his first wicket against Warwickshire. He played a further five matches in the 1951 season, but failed to make a significant impact.

In the 1952 season, Oates played 11 matches and achieved his best batting performance of 45 against Somerset. He also took his best bowling figures of 3 for 48 against Northamptonshire. He played five matches in the 1953 season and one match in the 1954 season, after which he did not appear in first-class cricket again.

Oates played 28 first-class matches in total, scoring 357 runs at an average of 11.15, with a highest score of 45. He took 16 wickets at an average of 46.68, with a best performance of 3 for 48.