Donald Watt (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Donald Watt was an Australian first-class cricket
er who played for Queensland
. He also represented his state in Australian rules football
and rugby union
.
A middle order
batsman and leg spin bowler, Watt made his first appearances in first-class cricket in the 1939/40 Sheffield Shield season. In five matches he struggled with the ball and could only take one wicket at an average of 278 but scored two half centuries. The competition was then suspended due to the war
so Watt never got a chance to improve his Shield record. Up until 1945/46, Watt continued to play for Queensland at first-class level and was easily most successful with the ball against New South Wales
. He never took a wicket against South Australia
, despite conceding 200 runs and only took three wickets at 80.33 in matches against Victoria
. However when it came to New South Wales he managed 14 wickets at 28.35.
Watt, a key forward, played Australian rules football in the Queensland Australian National Football League
, during the off-season. An interstate player, he had started out at South Brisbane
and then in 1941 was appointed captain of Coorparoo
, despite being only 21 years of age. The following year he was also playing rugby league
at the high level, as the full-back for the Eastern Suburbs Tigers. He however had more success in rugby union
, where his efforts as a lock for Toowoomba got him called up to the Queensland team
for an interstate match against rivals New South Wales
in 1950, as a reserve forward. Throughout the 1950s he continued the play cricket, in the country, and represented a Queensland Country side in matches against India, the West Indies and South Africa. In 1954 and 1955 he represented Queensland at rugby, including a fixture against Fiji
in the former year.
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
er who played for Queensland
Queensland Bulls
The Queensland cricket team, nicknamed the Bulls, are the Brisbane-based Queensland representative cricket team in Australia's domestic cricket tournaments:*Sheffield Shield, 4-day matches with first-class status, since the 1926/27 season...
. He also represented his state in Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
and rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
.
A middle order
Batting order (cricket)
In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...
batsman and leg spin bowler, Watt made his first appearances in first-class cricket in the 1939/40 Sheffield Shield season. In five matches he struggled with the ball and could only take one wicket at an average of 278 but scored two half centuries. The competition was then suspended due to the war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
so Watt never got a chance to improve his Shield record. Up until 1945/46, Watt continued to play for Queensland at first-class level and was easily most successful with the ball against New South Wales
New South Wales Blues
The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...
. He never took a wicket against South Australia
Southern Redbacks
The South Australia cricket team, nicknamed the Southern Redbacks and known as the West End Redbacks due to their sponsorship agreement with local brewers West End, are an Australian first class cricket team based in Adelaide, South Australia, and represent the state of South Australia...
, despite conceding 200 runs and only took three wickets at 80.33 in matches against Victoria
Victorian Bushrangers
The Victorian cricket team, nicknamed the Bushrangers, is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Premier Cricket competition...
. However when it came to New South Wales he managed 14 wickets at 28.35.
Watt, a key forward, played Australian rules football in the Queensland Australian National Football League
Queensland Australian Football League
The Queensland Australian Football League was an Australian rules football competition for clubs from South East Queensland.Up until 2010, the QAFL was the premier semi-professional competition in Queensland, with salary cap rules and regulations in place.It was previously known as the Queensland...
, during the off-season. An interstate player, he had started out at South Brisbane
South Brisbane Football Club
South Brisbane Football Club was an Australian rules club which competed in the Queensland Football League. They joined the league in 1910 and played in it until 1940 with the exception of the 1925 season which they sat out. Notable players include Brian O'Connor, Harry Pegg and Donald...
and then in 1941 was appointed captain of Coorparoo
Coorparoo Australian Football Club
Coorparoo Football Club were an Australian rules football club based in the Brisbane suburb of Coorparoo. Their club colours were navy blue and white and they were nicknamed the Roos.-History:...
, despite being only 21 years of age. The following year he was also playing rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
at the high level, as the full-back for the Eastern Suburbs Tigers. He however had more success in rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, where his efforts as a lock for Toowoomba got him called up to the Queensland team
Queensland Reds
The Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland...
for an interstate match against rivals New South Wales
New South Wales Waratahs
The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
in 1950, as a reserve forward. Throughout the 1950s he continued the play cricket, in the country, and represented a Queensland Country side in matches against India, the West Indies and South Africa. In 1954 and 1955 he represented Queensland at rugby, including a fixture against Fiji
Fiji national rugby union team
The Fiji national rugby union team is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance formerly along with Samoa and Tonga. In 2009, Samoa announced their departure from the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, leaving just Fiji and Tonga. Fiji are ranked sixteenth in the world by the IRB as of 26...
in the former year.