| Allan Watkins | |
| Fullname: | Albert John Watkins |
| Birth Date: | 21 April 1922 |
| Birth Place: | Usk, Monmouthshire, Wales |
| Death Place: | Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England |
| Batting: | Left-handed |
| Bowling: | Left-arm medium-fast |
| Columns: | 2 |
| Column1: | Tests |
| Matches1: | 15 |
| Runs1: | 810 |
| Bat Avg1: | 40.50 |
| 100S/50S1: | 2/4 |
| Top Score1: | 137* |
| Deliveries1: | 1,364 |
| Wickets1: | 11 |
| Bowl Avg1: | 50.36 |
| Fivefor1: | – |
| Tenfor1: | – |
| Best Bowling1: | 3/20 |
| Catches/Stumpings1: | 17/– |
| Column2: | First-class |
| Matches2: | 484 |
| Runs2: | 20,361 |
| Bat Avg2: | 30.57 |
| 100S/50S2: | 32/108 |
| Top Score2: | 170* |
| Deliveries2: | 51,469 |
| Wickets2: | 833 |
| Bowl Avg2: | 24.48 |
| Fivefor2: | 25 |
| Tenfor2: | – |
| Best Bowling2: | 7/28 |
| Catches/Stumpings2: | 464/– |
| International: | true |
| Country: | England |
| Testdebutdate: | 14 August |
| Testdebutyear: | 1948 |
| Lasttestdate: | 17 July |
| Lasttestyear: | 1952 |
| Source: | http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/22329.html Cricinfo |
Albert John "Allan" Watkins (21 April 1922 – 3 August 2011) was a Welsh cricketer, who played for England in fifteen Tests from 1948 to 1952.
Born in Usk, Monmouthshire,[1] Allan Watkins made his debut for Glamorgan just three weeks after his seventeenth birthday in 1939, as World War II loomed. He served in the war as a firefighter in the Royal Navy.[2]
He was a left-handed all-rounder: a capable batsman, a medium to fast-medium bowler and a brilliant close fielder, particularly at short leg.[1] He was the first Glamorgan cricketer to score a century in Tests for England, and played for the county until 1961, when he was 39 years old and struggling with asthma.[2]
Watkins toured South Africa in 1948-49 and India and Pakistan in 1951-52 with the English Test team, and also participated in the 1955-56 'A' Tour to Pakistan. In 1953–54, he played with the Commonwealth XI in India, returning home early through injury.
He was voted Indian Cricket Cricketer of the Year after a successful Test series there in 1951–52. During that series Watkins battled his way to a nine-hour-long, unbeaten 137, in Delhi, his best Test score. Watkins' best Test performances were overseas, as his five home Tests did not provide a single innings above fifty.[1] His other Test century came in the Fourth Test at Johannesburg in 1948–49, when he made 111.[3]
Watkins scored 1000 runs in an English season 13 times, and also took 100 wickets in 1954 and 1955, thus achieving the double in those two seasons.[2]
He also played football for Cardiff City and Plymouth Argyle,[4] and Rugby union for Pontypool.[2] He played Minor Counties cricket for Suffolk in 1965 and 1966.[5]
Watkins went on to successfully coach school cricket, most notably at Oundle School and Framlingham College.[2] He died in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, on 3 August 2011, following a short illness.[6]