Lives in Cricket No 39 - Alec Watson

57 losses from wins. Previously the press had decided the unofficial ‘champions’, apparently on a rough and ready least matches lost basis, which led to anomalies due to the differing programmes of the counties. This last problem was solved, initially at least, with the eight recognised first-class counties each playing the other twice annually Altogether this first ‘official’ championship season was a good one for Lancashire, though Surrey were deservedly the first ‘official’ champions. Lancashire’s main problem was inconsistency, with big victories followed by equally decisive defeats. To some extent the same problem affected Watson and flurries of wickets were interspersed with lean spells. His batting average again improved by one run. That was to some extent affected by his generally low position in the order; he had little chance to build a score, but collected seven ‘not outs’. Despite the nine wickets for 13 in the game with Sussex, his bowling average deteriorated by almost four runs per wicket, but with five wickets in an innings six times. Even so, he was second only to Briggs in the Lancashire bowling table, and Wisden conceded that Watson, ‘on anything like a sticky wicket’, was as ‘deadly’ as before. Mold was also praised, but Wisden advised that he should make every effort to keep his bowling action ‘above the breath of suspicion’. S.H. Pardon would have much more to say on Mold later, but there was still not a ‘breath of suspicion’ expressed in his Almanack about Watson’s bowling action; though again Alec failed to be selected for the Players or the North against the Australians, or indeed anyone else. Lancashire’s programme in 1891 was extended by the return of Somerset to the first-class fold, but Watson missed five matches, the first time he had not appeared in a Lancashire first-class match since 1874. However, the season began with Watson in the team at Oxford, and he took six wickets right away (12.1-4-28-6). The annual visit to face MCC at Lord’s brought some praise from Wisden for his three wickets before he had to return home ‘for personal reasons’ at the end of the first day. He then took four in the first innings against Surrey, who again beat Lancashire into second place in the championship. In both Lancashire’s innings Watson is recorded as ‘absent ill’. He (for the second game in succession), and indeed Briggs, took no part in the match after the first day, 21 May. Watson then missed games against Sussex, Kent (abandoned anyway), Middlesex, Yorkshire and Oxford University, before reappearing against Nottinghamshire on 25 Slow Decline and Sudden End