Lives in Cricket No 1 - Allan Watkins

competition for old boys’ sides from the leading public schools. Twice runners-up in the 1970s, those who had passed through Allan’s hands won the cup three times in five years from 1985. The nucleus of the successful Rovers side came together in the school teams of the mid-1970s, when Peter Mills, Michael’s son, was one of those involved. He particularly recalls the 1976 team, four of whom went on to win blues: John Knight at Oxford, David Holliday, Ian Hodgson and Peter himself at Cambridge, where he led the 1982 side against Oxford when Derek Pringle preferred to play for England in a Test match, thereby enabling the Mills to provide the only instance of a father and son captaining the Light Blues. Michael Mills travelled up for the match, taking the school coach with him. “I was so proud,” Allan says. “It was something to have one of our boys playing, and we had three in the one team one year. It was a great occasion.” Peter Mills talks with great enthusiasm of the way they played their matches at Oundle and gives unstinting credit to Allan. “He said the right amount technically without ever trying to say too much. 100 ‘Go Back to What You Love’ Allan returns to Usk with Tony Lewis and Jeff Jones for the testimonial of Phil Clift (foreground)