Cricket 1885

“ Together joined in cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 1885. p r i c e ad. A L E X A N D E R W A T SO N . T h e worthy professional whose presentment we give on this page occupies a position in one respect, we believe, unique in the history of cricket. Unless we are mistaken he is the only genuine Scotchman who has as yet attained to at all a conspicuous place among the hundreds who have earned a living solely by reason of their proficiency at our national game. There are, of course, many and good reasons to account for this exceptional record. Cricket, though it is developing steadily on the other side of the Tweed, has not as yet thriven sufficiently to induce men with a view to the pursuit of the sport as a business to undergo the regular and systematic training essential to the acquirement of a high reputation on the cricket field. The liberal inducements which are at the present time offered in every part of England to- youngsters at all keen about cricket, or possessed of any great promise, are unknown on the other side of the border. There is not the same incentive to master thoroughly the whole details of the game where the resources are so limited and the opportunities so few. In consequence there is really no canse for surprise that Scotland, so rich in football players, has proved such a poor re­ cruiting ground for its great summer rival. Yet Scotch sport has reason to congratulate itself on the high character enjoyed by the one representative it has, as far as we are aware, among the first rank of professional cricketers. Watson was born at Coatbridge in Lanarkshire, so that there can be no doubt about his nationality. Born on Novembei 4, 1846. he is now in bis thirty-ninth year. His first ap­ pearance as a professional seems to hava been in Scotland, in 1867, when he was in his twenty-first year, and that, as well as the following summer, saw him engaged as bowler to the Caledonian Club, at Edinburgh. The offer of a situation with the Kusholrae Club, at Manchester, induced him to cross the border, nection with County Cricket. At that time (in 1871) Lancashire was in a state of transition, and Watson came into the eleven at a very favourable moment. His one appearance of 1871, and his debut for Lancashire, was in the last fixture of the year, at Derby, on August 17, against Derbyshire, The wicket was all against the batsmen, but his bowling does not seem to have'been required, and tenth in the order of going in he was only able to secure four in'his two innings, being bowled by Hickton, without a run in the first and not out four in the second. He was, originally, like his prototype, Southerton, a fast bewler. Fortunately for him, when at practice in Scotland, he was seen by one of the most celebrated amateur slow bowlers of the day and urged to try slow bowling, which he did with singu­ lar success. His form in 1871 must have impressed the executive of the Manchester greatly, for the following summer found him one of the ground bowlers at Old Trafford, where he has remained ever since without inter­ ruption. Lancashire, though it only bad four fixtures in 1872, won them all, beating Derbyshire and York­ shire each twice, the latter a capital performance. The season was notice­ able for the introduction of William McIntyre into the eleven, and Watson and he rendered most valuable assist­ ance to Lancashire for some years. In a match during that season (1872) Wat­ son did a truly remarkable piece of bowling for a Twenty-two of Birming­ ham against the United North of Eng­ land Eleven. On this occasion he was credited with as many as seventeen of twenty United wickets —eight in the first and nine in the second innings, and altogether his analysis showed 90 overs, less one ball, for 93 runs and 17 wickets. His figures for Lancashire, too, were very creditable, though not so good as those of McIntyre. Against Yorkshire, at Sheffield, he bowled fifty-two overs, for 60 runs and six wickets, and his summary of the year represented 20 wickets for an average of just under nine runs. By this time he had fairly always thrown into the work entrusted to him, and whose fortunes he has helped, with others, during the last few years to restore. His con­ nection with the Busholme Club extended over three seasons, and it was during the third of these that his name i 3 first to be seen in con­ after his second season in the Scotch Capital. The spring of 1809, indeed, saw him located in Lancashire, and from this time dates his con­ nection with the County to whose success he has in no small measure contributed by his capital all-round cricket, by the energy he has j