Lives in Cricket No 14 - Jack Bond

long periods in and out of the side as Booth, Bolton and Collins were all given their chances. A century against the South Africans, followed in the next match by another undefeated hundred against Somerset at Old Trafford, were the highlights of a summer that also had its lean spells. Runs still came in the second team and Jack was recalled for the last five first-team matches to witness a season that had promised a glorious climax conclude with Lancashire’s aspirations in tatters. Leading the table comfortably in early August, with the extra satisfaction of having beaten Yorkshire twice, the county could muster only eight points from their last six matches, ceding the title to their White Rose rivals by the comfortable margin of 32 points. The following year Lancashire would drop to thirteenth in the table, but for Jack it was a fine season, the first in which he held a regular place in the county side all summer. His self-belief received a boost in the fourth match, against the Australians at Old Trafford, when an innings of 68 earned him his county cap. Like Roy Collins, who had also been on the staff for several seasons and was capped at the same time, Jack had been wondering if he could continue for much longer as a fringe player. ‘It had reached the situation where they either had to give us our county caps or sack us. Getting your county cap, it suddenly made you think that other 36 ‘After all, it’s only a friendly match’ The Lancashire team which finished second in the Championship in 1960. Standing (l to r): J.D.Bond, K.Higgs, G.Pullar, R.Collins, P.T.Marner, B.J.Booth, K.Goodwin (wk). Seated: K.J.Grieves, A.Wharton, R.W.Barber (capt), J.B.Statham, T.Greenhough. G.Clayton, the regular wicket-keeper, is missing.