Джон Рассел Уоткинс: Австралийский Крикетист

Australian cricketer

John Russell Watkins (born 16 April 1943) is a former Australian cricketer who played in one Test match in 1973.

Watkins was born in Newcastle, New South Wales, where he played most of his cricket. He started playing grade cricket for Waratah Mayfield District Cricket Club in the late 1950s. For four seasons he travelled to Sydney and played for Western Suburbs District Cricket Club under former Test cricketer Alan Davidson. and took 5 16 for Newcastle against a touring Fijian side. That summer he played against Newcastle for the NSW Country Second XI. Watkins played for NSW Colts in 1960–61. The same summer he played for Northern New South Wales, making 81 as an opener in a game against Southern NSW. In 1961–62 Watkins took three wickets in an over in a colts game against Queensland. That summer he also took 6–66 against Southern NSW. In 1962–63 he scored 94 in a colts game against Queensland, taking part in a century plus stand with Doug Walters. In 1964–65 he took seven wickets in a colts game against Queensland. He continued playing for NSW Colts the following summer. Eventually Watkins got sick of travelling and stopped playing grade cricket in Sydney. However he came to national prominence when he represented Northern New South Wales in a non first class match against the touring Indian side in 1967–68. He took ten wickets. The following summer he took 5–42 against the ACT for Newcastle. In the return match in 1969–70 he scored 66 not out and took 5 57 then 6 54 the following year. He represented Northern NSW against the touring English side in 1970–71 but had less success than against the Indians, taking three expensive wickets.

In 1971–72 Watkins took 4 99 for Northern NSW against the touring World XI, including the wicket of Graeme Pollock. He played for NSW against "The Thrashers" that summer and took 4 19 including the wickets of Richie Benaud and Neil Harvey. A few weeks later he was selected to play for New South Wales against South Australia after John Gleeson withdrew through injury. In the first innings Watkins took 4 for 72 out of a total of 252 for 5 declared, his victims including Ian Chappell (stumped) and Greg Chappell.

John Gleeson was dropped from the NSW side at the beginning of the 1972–73 season and was replaced by Watkins. However, in four Sheffield Shield matches he took only six wickets. The six wickets were taken in the one game, against Victoria, where his scalps included Graham Yallop. It was Watkins' 6 for 38 to bowl Northern New South Wales to victory against the touring Pakistan side that led the national selectors to choose him as the only spinner for the Third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground a month later, after only five first class matches in which he had taken 10 wickets at 39.00. (By contrast, in his four matches for Northern New South Wales against touring teams he had taken 24 wickets at 21.35.) Ashley Mallett had withdrawn from the side for business reasons and the selectors had elected to take three leg spinners on the tour to the West Indies: Watkins, Terry Jenner and Kerry O'Keeffe. Watkins bowled poorly in his next game, for NSW against Victoria.