Lives in Cricket No 39 - Alec Watson

54 Chapter Five Slow Decline and Sudden End Again in 1888 Watson played a full part in Lancashire’s programme, where Middlesex replaced Derbyshire, no longer considered first-class, in the championship programme. Alec did little in the opening matches against Kent and the Australians, the latter failure, of course, being particularly disappointing. However, he opened his account with a vengeance against Oxford University with two ‘five-fors’ (70.3-40-87-5 and 26-19-17-5). On the southern tour Watson took five wickets in the match against both Kent and Sussex, and then had eight more, including 69- 42-56-5 as Lancashire inflicted the only defeat by a county on the 1888 ‘champions’ Surrey. It may seem that Alec had a relatively quiet season in 1888, and, compared with the previous two seasons, that is probably true; he can hardly have expected to play representative cricket. His batting average declined to a shade over nine, with his position usually at the tail end of the order. In bowling he delivered little more than half of the overs that he did in 1887, as Briggs shouldered more of the bowling, and rain affected quite a bit of the programme. In that case his total haul of 61 wickets was still quite creditable, and he still only conceded about 1.15 runs per four ball over; overs became five balls from the next season. His average was over fifteen as it had been in 1884, and, as then, he had only three ‘five-fors’. Wisden noted that, along with Lancashire’s falling- off, Watson with Hornby and Barlow were ‘growing no younger’, though it hoped that ‘they have some more years of cricket before them’ before they retired. Watson was to prove just that in 1889, as he entered his forty-fifth year Watson was quickly into his stride, against MCC at Lord’s with three and then five wickets (21-11-16-5). Then there was another five in an innings at Oxford (36-22-41-5). He managed some good runs against Middlesex before an oddity: he took eleven wickets for 17 in an innings against the Lancashire Colts, few of whom went on to make a name in the game. Still, it warmed Alec up for the game against Kent, when he had nine wickets in all, including