Durham CCC sends its condolences to his former colleagues, friends and families.
John Martin ‘Jack’ Watson died in Darlington Memorial Hospital, on 10 March 2012, aged 90. Jack Watson was born in High Spen on 17 April 1921 and educated at Blackhall Mill Elementary School. A tall well built excellent all-rounder, left hand batsman and right arm medium fast bowler, who bowled off cutters then off breaks later in his career.
He was very much a journeyman cricketer, playing for Blackhall Mill, Medomsley, Ryton and Durham City, then as professional for Ashington, Northumberland CCC, Alnwick, Ashington, Shildon BR, Minor Counties, Blackhall CW, Swalwell, Normanby Hall, Burnmoor and Normanby Hall again.
Afterwards reverting to amateur status and playing for Shildon BR, Hunwick, Cliffe, Bearpark and Shildon Railway into his seventies. He played 131 games for Durham CCC from 1945-1966, broken by a spell with Northumberland from 1949-1955, where he played in 75 matches. He made his Durham CCC debut in 1945 against the Durham Coast League at Murton and took 5-16. For Durham he took 394 wickets at 16.63 with best bowling figures of 8-88 v Staffordshire at Walsall in 1953, taking 12-114 in the match. He also scored 2,816 runs at 23.08 with 73 v Staffordshire at Longton his highest score in 1958. Jack’s highest minor counties score was 102 for Northumberland v Lancashire II at Jesmond in 1954 and he took 8-42 for them against Durham at Ropery Lane, Chester-le-Street in 1953.
A resident of Shildon since circa 1955, Jack was a former policeman, later chief fire and security officer at Shildon Wagon Works. He was also well known in the soccer world, working as chief scout for Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Darlington (who he managed) Hartlepool, Carlisle, Birmingham, Sheffield Wednesday, West Brom, Celtic and Middlesbrough right up to the time of his death and was the President of Durham CCC Old Players Association.
by Brian Hunt, Durham CCC Scorer/archivist