Lives in Cricket No 14 - Jack Bond

county club in an age of feudal relationships where, he recalls, ‘in those days we weren’t even allowed in the bar.’ Dress and table manners were both high on the agenda for Stan Worthington. Jack recalls the junior players being smarter turned out than the first team. ‘He used to say, “Even if you can’t play the game, you should look smart and look as if you can play.” He didn’t like scruffiness at all.’ The old players laugh at recollections of Worthington at the tea table. ‘If he saw anybody misbehaving he’d tell them in no uncertain terms,’ says Roy Tattersall. ‘“You’re having too many cakes and not letting anybody else have any!” He’d tell them off for stirring a cup of tea like this.’ Taking a spoon to his cup of coffee, Roy vigorously rattled the sides of his cup to illustrate the forbidden method, and Jack later mimicked the genteelly raised fifth finger as the cup moved to the lips. The mickey-taking that bonds cricket teams thrives on such trivia, as Roy elaborates, ‘They all started doing it in a funny way, Geoff Clayton and people like that.’ For all the fun that was always to be had at Worthington’s expense, Jack grew to respect the coach’s ability and methods. ‘He was knowledgeable about the game, and he had the sense not to interfere too much with anybody’s natural ability. I think that’s the sign of a good coach. You’ve got to rely on your instincts in situations in a game, and Stan would allow people their natural ability until you did something absolutely wrong.’ For Jack, hitting over the top remained a challenge. Worthington advised him to cut the shot out, but as Jack’s game, like that of most small men, was always based on back foot play and good timing, with less strength in the drive, hitting over extra cover had become an important part of his repertoire. He cut the shot out for a while, later bringing it in only when well set, ‘but then I thought this is no good. Now the shot over the top is in every type of cricket I can think of.’ For all the youngsters offered a place on the winter coaching scheme there was the possibility of engagement on the county staff if they impressed the coaches. ‘There were one or two who I thought were better than I was,’ Jack says, particularly remembering a man named Jackie Hunter. ‘But because of their jobs they couldn’t afford to go into county cricket, whereas I was working as a clerk.’ ‘We thought you were nineteen’ 21