John Watkins (Australian cricketer)

The tour of the West Indies began poorly for Australia, with injuries to Bob Massie and Dennis Lillee resulting in a very real chance Watkins could play a Test. However he was made 12th man for 3 out of the first five games.

In 1976–77 he took 4/66 for Newcastle against Sydney.

Watkins was dropped from the NSW side at the beginning of the 1973–74 season. He continued to play club cricket, mostly as a batsman, in Newcastle, where he worked for a shipping company.

John Gleeson was dropped from the NSW side at the beginning of the 1972–73 season and was replaced by Watkins. However, in four Sheffield Shield matches he took only six wickets. The six wickets were taken in the one game, against Victoria, where his scalps included Graham Yallop.

In 1971–72 Watkins took 4-99 for Northern NSW against the touring World XI, including the wicket of Graeme Pollock. He played for NSW against "The Thrashers" that summer and took 4-19 including the wickets of Richie Benaud and Neil Harvey.

Eventually Watkins got sick of travelling and stopped playing grade cricket in Sydney. However he came to national prominence when he represented Northern New South Wales in a non-first-class match against the touring Indian side in 1967–68. He took ten wickets. The following summer he took 5–42 against the ACT for Newcastle. In the return match in 1969–70 he scored 66 not out and took 5-57 then 6-54 the following year. He represented Northern NSW against the touring English side in 1970–71 but had less success than against the Indians, taking three expensive wickets.

In 1961–62 Watkins took three wickets in an over in a colts game against Queensland. That summer he also took 6–66 against Southern NSW. In 1962–63 he scored 94 in a colts game against Queensland, taking part in a century plus stand with Doug Walters. In 1964–65 he took seven wickets in a colts game against Queensland. He continued playing for NSW Colts the following summer.

Watkins played for NSW Colts in 1960–61. The same summer he played for Northern New South Wales, making 81 as an opener in a game against Southern NSW.

In 1959–60 he played for Sydney Metropolitan Colts against Tasmania and took 5-16 for Newcastle against a touring Fijian side. That summer he played against Newcastle for the NSW Country Second XI.

Watkins was born in Newcastle, New South Wales, where he played most of his cricket. He started playing grade cricket for Waratah-Mayfield District Cricket Club in the late 1950s. For four seasons he travelled to Sydney and played for Western Suburbs District Cricket Club under former Test cricketer Alan Davidson.

John Russell Watkins (born 16 April 1943) is a former Australian cricketer who played in one Test match in 1973.