Lives in Cricket No 1 - Allan Watkins

Davies meant that Allan was the skipper’s right hand man. “I remember he wanted to put himself on to bowl,” he says with incredulity. Seventy-one runs from 11 innings, some ponderous fielding and no obvious tactical insight or understanding of the first-class game’s subtleties, spelt the end of any enthronement plans. With all the plots and counter-plots off the field, it was hard for the players to keep focussed on their jobs, and the county slid to fifteenth in the table. One of the few whose form did not suffer was Allan. His wickets shot up from 26 to 77 and he now topped both batting and bowling averages. Nothing was ever said officially, but Wooller had dropped hints to Allan that he was earmarked to be his successor. And the hints were not welcome. “I was worried that it was me going to be skipper, and I didn’t want it.” Allan’s anxieties were assuaged when Wooller, having seen the back of those who had schemed for his downfall, reversed his decision to retire. His reinstatement could only be a short-term solution to the problems Glamorgan faced, but he continued as captain for two more years. After the disharmony of the previous year, the long, hot summer of 1959 saw a revival in Glamorgan’s fortunes. His authority restored, Wooller led the side with renewed zest and his players responded. Parkhouse had his best ever season, Hedges, McConnon and Shepherd all showed improved form, while Walker made a big advance as an all-rounder. From fifteenth, Glamorgan rose to sixth in the table, and were only denied second place when the last two Middlesex wickets eluded them in their final match. With Haydn Davies retiring at the end of the 1958 season, Allan had become senior professional. For some counties with an inexperienced amateur in charge this was a crucial appointment, but it had never been so at Glamorgan, where the players knew that Wilf Wooller would always represent their interests to the committee and that they could rely on him to defend them to the outside world. “There was no need really of a senior professional with Wilf. If I heard a bit grumbling among the team, I used to say ‘Come on, you know Wilf, you know his temperament. You know what will happen: tomorrow he’ll be laughing and joking.’ That’s all I had to do. It was different on tour.” Since his appointment as a Test selector in 1955 Wooller had missed some county matches each season, and in 1959 he handed The Strain Becomes Too Much 89