Cricket career on hold after violent attack
A COUNTY cricket hopeful has seen his career dreams put on hold after he was attacked following a night out.
Justin Watson, 20, a promising amateur, and talented team-mate Marques Ackerman, 22, were both assaulted on Yorkshire Street in Oldham town centre on Friday, July 27.
The players had been training with Shaw Cricket Club and had spent the night at nearby drinking spots before they were attacked by a group of men. Justin, who lives in South Africa but holds a British passport, suffered a fractured jaw and had to undergo surgery before being released five days later.
Club captain Steve Whinston said the young hopeful was due to go for trials with Durham and Nottinghamshire, which due to his injuries will now not be possible.
Marques was captain of the under-18s South Africa side three years ago and hopes to play for his country’s senior side.
He was knocked unconscious and suffered severe concussion following the assault, and is out of action for two weeks as a result of his injuries.
Greater Manchester Police are investigating the attack.
The pair had been training, coaching and playing with the club over the summer and were due to remain until mid-September. But now Steve says the pair will have to return back to South Africa prematurely.
He told the M.E.N.: “I got a call from Justin in the early hours of Friday morning asking if I could take him to hospital. It was quite clear quite quickly that Justin’s jaw was not in the right position, it was pretty shocking to be honest.
“He is not in a very good space at the moment. This whole thing just shows exactly where our town is at right now. Two lads go out to enjoy a night out and maybe go to get a kebab and they are suddenly being attacked by a group of seven lads.
“These lads came to play cricket and have done so much for this club – they don’t deserve this.
“We all deserve the right to go out and enjoy ourselves and go home and make it home.
“Marques is fortunate – he could have died. Justin is lucky to have got away with just a broken jaw.
“The boys are lucky but the town needs to improve.”
Steve says the attack has had a ‘massive’ impact on the club.
He added: “One of my players has lost out financially and one is going to have to change his flight home which is also going to be costly. As a club, we are an employer and now we don’t have their services – it sets us back. We now have to employ a coach and two of our best players are gone.”
A GMP spokesman said: “Two men, aged 20 and 27, were arrested on suspicion of section 20 assault and have been released under investigation.”