It was Watkins' 6 for 38 to bowl Northern New South Wales to victory against the touring Pakistan side that led the national selectors to choose him as the only spinner for the Third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground a month later, after only five first-class matches in which he had taken 10 wickets at 39.00. (By contrast, in his four matches for Northern New South Wales against touring teams he had taken 24 wickets at 21.35.) Ashley Mallett had withdrawn from the side for business reasons and the selectors had elected to take three leg spinners on the tour to the West Indies: Watkins, Terry Jenner and Kerry O'Keeffe.