Name:

Watson, Willie

Date of Birth:

07 Mar 1920

Gender:

Men

Place of Birth:

Bolton upon Dearne

Date Died:

24 Apr 2004

Career:

Test: 1951 - 1959

Teams:

Yorkshire (Regional)
Leicestershire (Regional)
England (Country)

1956 1st Test: Rain ruins exciting finish (Trent Bridge)

Willie Watson (7 March 1920 – 24 April 2004) was a top order batsman and footballer, one of the few men to have represented England in both sports.

A stylish left-hander, Watson played 23 Test matches for England between 1951 and 1959, scoring 879 runs at an average of 25.85, with five fifties and a top score of 116.

In first-class cricket, mainly for Yorkshire and Leicestershire, he amassed 25,670 runs at an average of 39.86, including 55 centuries and 122 fifties, and also took 95 catches.

Renowned for his courage and technique, his most famous innings was a defiant 109 at Lord’s in 1953 that helped England save the Test against Australia.

A gifted all-round sportsman, Watson also earned four caps for the England football team as a wing-half.

After retirement, Watson became player-manager of Halifax and later returned as manager in 1964 after a two-year stint as an England Test selector.