Lives in Cricket No 14 - Jack Bond

Chapter Four ‘After all, it’s only a friendly match’ Though the selectors retained faith in Jack, picking him for all the early matches in 1958, he endured a summer as bitterly disappointing as the weather. Where championship runs in the modern game average around the mid-thirties, the summer of 1958 saw them coming at no more than 21.13. Jack’s own first-class tally was just 133 at 9.50, though once he had returned to the second eleven he became one of the most prolific batsmen in a side Geoff Edrich led to fourth place in a Minor Counties table of 32 teams. In the baking summer of 1959 runs flowed more freely. This time Jack started in the second team, biding his time for an opportunity. A century against Northants in the new Second Eleven Championship, followed by 78 in the return fixture, earned him a call when the Indians came to Old Trafford. An undefeated 66, albeit in a total of 400 for five, made it hard for him to be dropped. A month later came his first championship century, against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge. Having already top-scored with 76 in the first innings, his best first-class score to date, he went one better in his second knock when acting captain Alan Wharton promoted him to number three and allowed the innings to run until he had passed three figures. ‘I was always grateful to Alan for sending me in at number three and giving me my chance. He knew how much it would mean to me, as an inexperienced, uncapped player.’ Sadly, with Statham unable to bowl, Wharton’s declaration enabled Nottinghamshire to storm to a seven-wicket victory on what Jack stresses was a featherbed pitch. Eighty-six against Leicestershire, fifties against Warwickshire and Essex and a pair of half-centuries in Lancashire’s second match against the tourists at Blackpool concluded a more satisfactory summer for Jack, his first-class average rising to a respectable 31.92 for his 862 runs. The next season, Bob Barber’s first in charge after the retirement of Washbrook, was another in Jack’s switchback fortunes, with 35