Mike Watkinson
Encyclopedia
Mike Watkinson is a former English
cricket
er who played four Test matches
and one One Day International in the mid-1990s. A right-handed batsman and a right-arm bowler of either medium-pace or off-spin, he was instrumental in Lancashire
's successes in the 1990s, and is now the county's cricket manager.
He showed early promise as an all-round sportsman, excelling in both cricket and football
, and achieving good standards in golf
and basketball
. He demonstrated that good hand, ball and eye co-ordination can be applied to many sports, and thus it is no surprise that he was able to make his living through sport.
Watkinson attended Westhoughton County Primary School, and then Rivington & Blackrod Grammar School (later R & B High). During this time he was a regular player at Westhoughton Cricket Club in the Bolton Cricket League
, where he drew attention from Teddy Gerrard, a coach at the club. He started playing in local matches for the Astley Region Southern Explorers, this is where his bowling skills really developed. Under the expert tuition of coach Wayne Kerr, Watkinson developed a very accurate style of bowling inswingers and leg breaks, using pitch rather than pace to score wickets.
It was from these beginnings, and following great cricketing predecessors in the club (four of the Tyldesley family made the ground staff at Old Trafford
, with Dick Tyldesley
reaching International level with England) that Watkinson emulated the local heroes, playing for Lancashire and England. He was captain of the Lancashire side from 1992 to 1997.
He has taken the position of Club Manager for Lancashire, and no longer plays professional cricket.
Mike Watkinson currently lives with his family in Bromley Cross
,
where he donated a bench to the locals. He is an avid follower of the football team Bolton Wanderers
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played four Test matches
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
and one One Day International in the mid-1990s. A right-handed batsman and a right-arm bowler of either medium-pace or off-spin, he was instrumental in Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
's successes in the 1990s, and is now the county's cricket manager.
He showed early promise as an all-round sportsman, excelling in both cricket and football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, and achieving good standards in golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. He demonstrated that good hand, ball and eye co-ordination can be applied to many sports, and thus it is no surprise that he was able to make his living through sport.
Watkinson attended Westhoughton County Primary School, and then Rivington & Blackrod Grammar School (later R & B High). During this time he was a regular player at Westhoughton Cricket Club in the Bolton Cricket League
Bolton Cricket League
The Bolton Cricket League is a cricket league comprising fourteen teams in and around Bolton, Greater Manchester in North West England. The league runs competitions at First Team, Second Team, Under 18, Under 15, Under 13 and Under 11 levels.-Teams:...
, where he drew attention from Teddy Gerrard, a coach at the club. He started playing in local matches for the Astley Region Southern Explorers, this is where his bowling skills really developed. Under the expert tuition of coach Wayne Kerr, Watkinson developed a very accurate style of bowling inswingers and leg breaks, using pitch rather than pace to score wickets.
It was from these beginnings, and following great cricketing predecessors in the club (four of the Tyldesley family made the ground staff at Old Trafford
Old Trafford (cricket)
Old Trafford is a cricket ground situated on Talbot Road in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester. It has been the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club since its foundation in 1864, having been the ground of Manchester Cricket Club from 1857...
, with Dick Tyldesley
Dick Tyldesley
Dick Tyldesley was a Lancashire cricketer who was one of the most important figures in Lancashire breaking Yorkshire's stronghold on the County Championship between 1926 and 1930.He was the youngest of four brothers who all played for Lancashire, but were unrelated...
reaching International level with England) that Watkinson emulated the local heroes, playing for Lancashire and England. He was captain of the Lancashire side from 1992 to 1997.
He has taken the position of Club Manager for Lancashire, and no longer plays professional cricket.
Mike Watkinson currently lives with his family in Bromley Cross
Bromley Cross
Bromley Cross is a suburb of the unparished area of South Turton in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the southern edge of the West Pennine Moors....
,
where he donated a bench to the locals. He is an avid follower of the football team Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
.