All Ten: The Ultimate Bowling Feat

170 Eddie Watts Surrey v Warwickshire, 1939 County Championship Edgbaston, Birmingham on 19, 21, 22 August 1939 (3-day match) Toss won by Surrey Surrey won by an innings and 1 run Umpires: J Hardstaff, CWL Parker Surrey 336; Warwickshire 115 (FR Brown 6-46) and 220 (EA Watts 10-67) Warwickshire second innings AJW Croom c Gregory b Watts 12 WA Hill c Gregory b Watts 31 FR Santall c Squires b Watts 2 RES Wyatt c Mobey b Watts 59 HE Dollery c Garland-Wells b Watts 41 *P Cranmer c Dickinson b Watts 3 NA Shortland c Fishlock b Watts 3 +J Buckingham lbw b Watts 22 WE Hollies c Garland-Wells b Watts 1 JH Mayer lbw b Watts 13 CWC Grove not out 13 Extras (b 12, lb 3, nb 3, w 2) 20 Total (all out, 62.1 overs) 220 Fall of wickets 1-24, 2-33, 3-62, 4-147, 5-153, 6-161, 7-162, 8-166, 9-190, 10-220 Surrey bowling: AR Gover 12-0-36-0, EA Watts 24.1-8-67-10, FR Brown 17- 2-78-0, JF Parker 5-2-7-0, HS Squires 4-1-12-0 Surrey: RJ Gregory, LB Fishlock, EW Whitfield, HS Squires, JF Parker, FR Brown, GS Mobey (wk), HM Garland-Wells (capt), PJ Dickinson, EA Watts, AR Gover Born in Peckham, London, Eddie Watts played for Thames Ditton CC and made his first-class debut as an amateur in 1933, aged not quite 21, against Warwickshire, a county who would have good reason to remember him six years later. Turning professional he quickly became a regular member of the Surrey team. Strongly-built he bowled tirelessly at a lively fast-medium, swinging the ball both ways. Watts usually opened the bowling with his brother-in-law Alf Gover who as spearhead of the attack got choice of ends, usually leaving Watts to bowl into the wind. Gover took 200 wickets in 1936 and 201 in 1937, the last fast bowler to reach this total. The following winter, touring India with Lord Tennyson’s side, he injured his knee and was much less effective the following summer. Watts, however, rose to the challenge of the extra responsibility consequently thrust upon him and took over 100 wickets in a season for the first time, a target he achieved again in 1939. By the middle of August 1939, with international tension rising, many