Mike Watkinson
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| Full name | Michael Watkinson | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 1 August 1961 Westhoughton, Lancashire, England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm medium Right-arm off-break | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | All-rounder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | Liam Watkinson (son) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| National side |
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| Test debut (cap 575) | 27 July 1995 v West Indies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 4 January 1996 v South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 134) | 13 January 1996 v South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Michael Watkinson (born 1 August 1961) is a former English cricketer who played four Test matches and one One Day International in the mid-1990s. A right-handed batsman and right-arm bowler of either medium-pace or off-spin, he was instrumental in Lancashire County Cricket Club's successes in the 1990s, later becoming the county's director of cricket.
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 Rivington and Blackrod High School. 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.
From these beginnings, and following cricketing predecessors from the club (four of the Tyldesley family made the ground staff at Old Trafford, with Dick Tyldesley reaching international level with England) Watkinson emulated the local heroes, playing for Lancashire and England.