Willie Watson (English cricketer)

Born in Bolton on Dearne, Yorkshire, England, Watson, a left-handed batsman, made his debut for Yorkshire in 1939, and was a regular in the side for a dozen years after World War II. He made his Test match debut against the South Africans in 1951, and did well. But at a time when England was rich in batting talent, Watson rarely commanded a regular place and his twenty three Test matches were spread across eight years. His most famous innings was one of 109, in almost six hours, which with Trevor Bailey contributing to a partnership of 163, enabled England to save the second Test at Lord's in 1953 against the Australians, when the game appeared to be lost. He wrote his memoirs, Double International, in 1956. Watson emigrated to South Africa in 1968, to coach the Wanderers. He died in Johannesburg in April 2004, at the age of 84. ==Football career==

As a footballer, Watson was a cultured wing-half for Huddersfield Town, Sunderland and Halifax Town. He made 211 league appearances for Sunderland, in his seven seasons at the club. He played for England four times, gaining his first cap in England's 9–2 victory over Northern Ireland in November 1949. He was a member of the squad for the 1950 FIFA World Cup, though he did not appear in any of the games in the tournament in Brazil. He had two spells in charge of Halifax, from 1954 to 1956 and later from 1964 to 1966, and also managed Bradford City from 1966 to 1968, where he laid the foundations of a promotion-winning team, but his biggest successes were in cricket. ==References==