John Watkins (Australian cricketer) facts for kids

John Russell Watkins (born 16 April 1943) is a former Australian cricket player. He is known for playing in one special Test match for Australia in 1973. John was a right-handed batsman and bowled a tricky style called legbreak googly.

John Watkins' Cricket Journey

Early Days and Local Games

John Watkins was born in Newcastle, New South Wales. This is where he started playing cricket when he was young. In the late 1950s, he joined the Waratah-Mayfield District Cricket Club.

For a few years, John traveled to Sydney to play for the Western Suburbs District Cricket Club. He played under the guidance of Alan Davidson, a famous former Test cricketer.

John showed his talent early on. In 1959–60, he took 5 wickets for only 16 runs while playing for Sydney Metropolitan Colts. He also took 5 wickets against a visiting team from Fiji.

He continued to play for different youth teams like NSW Colts. In 1960–61, he scored 81 runs as an opening batsman for Northern New South Wales. The next year, he took three wickets in one over during a game!

In 1962–63, John scored 94 runs in a game with future star Doug Walters. He also took seven wickets in a game in 1964–65.

After a while, John stopped traveling to Sydney for club cricket. But he became well-known when he played for Northern New South Wales. In 1967–68, he took an amazing ten wickets against the touring Indian team. This was a big achievement!

Making His First-Class Debut

In 1971–72, John played against the touring World XI team. He took 4 wickets for 99 runs, including the wicket of famous player Graeme Pollock.

Soon after, he was chosen to play for New South Wales. This was his first time playing in a "first-class" match. He took 4 wickets for 72 runs against South Australia. His victims included the well-known brothers, Ian Chappell and Greg Chappell.

The 1972–73 Season and Test Call-Up

At the start of the 1972–73 season, John became a regular player for New South Wales. He took six wickets in one game against Victoria.

Later that season, John had an amazing performance for Northern New South Wales. He took 6 wickets for only 38 runs against the touring Pakistan team. This fantastic effort caught the eye of the national selectors.

Even though he had only played five first-class matches, the selectors chose him for the Third Test match. This was a huge step for John, as he was picked as the main spin bowler for Australia.

His Only Test Match

John Watkins played his only Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground. In the first innings, he bowled but didn't take any wickets.

However, he made a big impact with his batting! Australia was in trouble, with only eight wickets down and a small lead. John teamed up with Bob Massie and they put on an important partnership of 83 runs. John scored 36 runs, which helped Australia win the match.

John also took the catch that sealed Australia's victory. He later said he was happy to contribute with his batting and the catch. He wasn't nervous and felt confident with the bat.

Touring the West Indies

After his Test match, John was chosen to tour the West Indies with the Australian team. He hoped to play more Test matches there.

He took some wickets in warm-up games, including four wickets against Trinidad and Tobago. He also took four wickets against Guyana, getting the important wicket of Clive Lloyd. But he couldn't get into the Test team again.

His last first-class game was against the Windward Islands. His entire first-class career, which included 10 matches, lasted only 14 months.

During the tour, his teammate Doug Walters once joked with John. He suggested John whistle a song while bowling to relax. John tried it, which made everyone laugh, but his bowling was still a bit off!

After International Cricket

After the West Indies tour, John was no longer selected for the New South Wales team. He continued to play club cricket in Newcastle, mostly as a batsman. He worked for a shipping company there.

In 1976–77, he took 4 wickets for 66 runs for Newcastle against Sydney.