Watson, whose two-year All Black coaching career ended when the All Blacks beat Wales 23-3 in the centenary test at Cardiff Arms Park in 1980, was among the guests at the Albion Cricket Club's 150th celebrations at the weekend.
He was a pupil at High St School when he joined Albion in the late 1930s and was 17 when he first played senior cricket in the 1942-43 season. He played club cricket for another 25 years before retiring in 1968 at the age of 42.
Watson (87) was the oldest former player at the Albion celebrations. He was joined by his only surviving brother, Len (86).
All four Watson brothers - Eric, Len, Albie and Les - played cricket for the Albion club.
Eric lived in the do-it-yourself days when the players had to roll the pitch and build the clubrooms when Albion shifted its headquarters from Logan Park to Culling Park.
He was club captain when he and seven clubmates rolled the pitch each night with the heavy roller to get it ready for senior cricket.
''We made the cricket wicket and we built the clubrooms with voluntary labour,'' Eric said.
It turned out to be a good senior wicket but there was one hitch.
''We got Bert Sutcliffe out lbw with a grubber that just rolled along the ground. We had just told him how good it was to bat on.''
Eric played for Otago from 1949 to 1960, with a top score of 103, against Central Districts, and two other scores of 95. He scored 1746 first-class runs at an average of 21.55 and took 40 wickets.
But he did not always succeed with the bat, especially the day when his wife, Billie, took his two children to Carisbrook to watch a game.
''I went out first ball and they packed up and went home.''
Eric opened the batting with Len for Otago against Northern Districts in the game when All Black fullback Don Clarke made his first-class cricket debut.
Len started playing senior cricket for Albion at the age of 14 in 1941.
He was noted for his solid defence and was difficult to dislodge. Many runs came from square cuts and he saved his side on many occasions by his grim determination, tenacity and courage.
Len scored four centuries in senior cricket, with his highest score being 134 against University in the mid-1950s. He also played three matches for Otago in the 1954-55 season.
There were 130 past and present players at the weekend celebrations. Among them was former New Zealand women's basketball coach John Paul, who did the electrical work for the clubhouse.
The reunion finishes today with farewells at Culling Park.
