Lives in Cricket No 39 - Alec Watson

55 37.4-20-55-5 in the second innings. He then did quite well with both bat and ball at Trent Bridge against Nottinghamshire, whom Wisden was to bracket with Lancashire and Surrey as joint ‘champions’ for 1889. Indeed Surrey now visited Old Trafford, where Watson had yet another ten-wicket haul (34.3-16-47-5 and 31-15-42-5); though Surrey complained when the wicket broke up on the second day. However, by then Alec was not directly concerned with pitch maintenance. Then at Hove Alec again took five wickets in each innings (24-17-19-5 and 43-25-48-5), as Sussex were thrashed, and continued his success on tour with seven in all in a key Lancashire victory over Surrey. He wound up the three southern matches with seven wickets for 27 from 23 overs with 11 maidens, and nine in all, against Kent. The home match against Nottinghamshire might have settled the ‘championship’ either way, but it was ruined by rain; though Watson had time to take four victims. He finished his season by playing in the Eleven of his friend and business associate, Richard Pilling, against Louis Hall’s XI at Holbeck, but he achieved little there. However, Watson’s season as a whole had been a better one. His batting average improved by two runs, and he held 16 catches. He did more bowling than in 1888 and his total tally of wickets rose to 90, at an improved average of 12.65. He took five wickets in an innings nine times, his highest number in a season, with two ten-wicket hauls. Wisden noted that Watson was ‘far more destructive’ than in 1888. That was despite the appearance in the side of Arthur Mold, yet another Lancashire bowler who was to become embroiled in public controversy, though Wisden at this point said nothing against his bowling action. However, the Almanack did have some criticism for the Old Trafford pitches of 1889. Despite Watson’s good form, his outing for Pilling’s XI was his only non-Lancashire match, and he did not appear for the North or the Players. Lancashire opened their 1890 programme against MCC at Lord’s, where Alec had a reasonable start to another full season. However, Lancashire were crushed by an innings by the touring Australians, Watson taking three wickets. After a run of quiet games Alec returned to form with a vengeance in the innings win over Sussex, when he took five wickets for 7 and four for 6. Watson did well with the bat against Middlesex, scoring 27 in his only innings, while he also took five wickets for 66 from 45-2 overs with 23 maidens and seven wickets in all; and had another ‘five-for’ in the Slow Decline and Sudden End