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Steve Watkin, the flat-footed medium fast bowler from the Glamorgan
valleys, had the unusual distinction in the 1990s of never playing in a
losing England team: which says more about selectors capricious use of
his talents than of England's abilities in their darkest years. Wattie
had a simple line-and-length approach to bowling, with a devastating
faster ball which bounced and moved away to give catches in the slips.
He reckoned he also had subtle variations, but they were too subtle to
be noticeable from the outer and generally even too subtle to be noticed
by the batsman at the other end.
He was found as a 15 year-old by Tom
Cartwright and fast tracked into the Welsh youth set-up, playing for
Welsh youth against a Sri Lankan under-19 side which included Gurusinghe
and Tillekeratne, and touring Zimbabwe with England A in 1989-90, when
he dismissed Davey Houghton three times in the unofficial Tests. A Test
debut against the 1989 Australians had been on the cards, but he was
injured before the match, and he had to wait until Headingley in 1991
and the first Test against the West Indies. His 2-55 in the first
innings included the wicket of Desmond Haynes for 7. In the second
innings it was 3-38 as England won by 115 runs and he dismissed Viv
Richards cheaply.
On a flat wicket at Lord's he conceded 60 runs in 15
overs without a wicket, and was hurriedly discarded. He returned under
Mike Atherton at the Oval in 1993 and took 2-87 and 4-65 as England won
their only Ashes Test of that series by 161 runs. He toured West Indies
in 1993-94, playing in three ODIs. (Bob Harragan)
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