Lives in Cricket No 1 - Allan Watkins

Dr Trapnell came to Oundle at a time of great change for the traditional public schools. It was an immense challenge. “Everything had to be rethought out,” he says. His other priorities precluded much direct involvement with cricket, but he remembers Allan as “a very dear man, much respected and loved.” Later on, when Trapnell was succeeded by David McMurray, a Free Forester who lists cricket as the first of his recreations, Allan found that he could always rely on the headmaster’s support and, when the time came for him to retire on his 65th birthday, it was McMurray who persuaded him to carry on coaching for another five years. Michael Mills forged a formidable partnership with Allan, as did his successor as cricket master, Jeremy Firth. “Chaps loved sitting around in the dressing room talking to him,” Mills says. “He was a terrific talker and a very good coach.” Oundle still awaits its first Test cricketer, but the fruits of Allan’s coaching were seen in the successes of the Oundle Rovers in the Cricketer Cup, the knockout ‘Go Back to What You Love’ 99 Cricket at Oundle