Brief profile of Donald Watt by Warwick Torrens

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Player:

D Watt

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DateLine: 17th June 2007

 

Donald WATT was born on 15 March 1920 at Southport (Son of Ivy Edith VEIVERS and Leslie Benjamin WATT); he died on 20 May 2007 at Toowoomba. He represented Queensland State Primary Schools in 1933-34 and 1934-35. He then played grade cricket for Eastern Suburbs, appearing in the A Grade team from 1936-37 to 1942-43 and scoring 1351 runs in 49 matches at an average of 24.12, with a highest score of 108, his only century. He captured 91 wickets with a best of five for 49. He played for Q.C.A. Colts in 1939-40.

 

He made his first class debut in 1939-40 and his final appearances in first class cricket in 1945-46. In 1945-46 he played from Toowoomba having already become a country player, appearing in Dalby. In thirteen first class matches he scored 524 runs at 23.81 with a highest score of 59 not out. With the ball he captured 17 wickets at 49.29 with a best of four for 40. At the end of the 1939-40 season he joined Bill Ives team for a tour through North Queensland. On the tour he played in ten matches batting consistently for 347 runs at 38.55 and capturing four wickets for 79, being called upon to bowl very little.

 

After some time playing in Toowoomba he played for Suburbans in Townsville, then to Mount Isa, followed by a short period in Gladstone. He then returned to Toowoomba. In his time in the country he made appearances for Queensland Country against international teams, playing against India at Warwick in 1947-48, against West Indies at Townsville in 1951-52 when he scored 51 and 27, against South Africa at Bundaberg in 1952-53 when he scored 36 and captured two wickets for 106, and the last being in 1954-55 when he played against the M.C.C. in Rockhampton scoring 4 and 29 and capturing five wickets for 56. In October 1951 he captained the Queensland Country team in a match against a strong Brisbane team performing well with both bat and ball in scoring 35 and 47 and capturing four for 116 and one for 25.

 

In April 1960 he captained Mount Isa in their two matches against Jack Chegwyn’s team, the last of Chegwyn’s visits to Queensland. He recorded scores of 27 and 25 and captured three for 78 and one for 53 in these two games. He was a right hand batsman and leg break and googly bowler. In Townsville and Mount Isa he was able to carry out coaching duties in conjunction with his employment.

 

He was educated at Coorparoo State School. On leaving school he worked for a firm of plasterers and attended Technical College to learn the trade of welding. He worked in this trade and in Townsville worked as a boiler maker. In world war two he was attached to the Civil Construction Corps in Townsville.

 

(Article: Copyright © 2007 Warwick Torrens (email: warwick.cricket@bigpond.com))