Lives in Cricket No 14 - Jack Bond

afternoon, Jack got his reward when Derbyshire’s last wicket fell with the visitors still four short of Lancashire’s 301 for seven. ‘It was a shame for the spectators,’ he reflects. ‘The people who turned up that Sunday must have been bored to death.’ An undefeated 78 in the second innings of the return match with Derbyshire at Buxton, followed by 97 against Sussex at Old Trafford, helped cement Jack’s place in the senior side, and he was captain again when Lancashire won a far from one-sided game against Oxford University, making a much needed 69 not out. Significantly, Jack was appointed captain for this match, despite the presence of both Pullar and Green. He remained as captain against Surrey when, batting on for one over after lunch on the final day, he ‘did not make his challenge attractive enough and Surrey slowly batted out time.’ At Folkestone he presided over a heavy Lancashire defeat, after which Statham returned to take charge once more. For Jack the runs had now started to dry up. Though there was a brave undefeated 33 out of 129 against Glamorgan, he registered a pair against Somerset as Lancashire narrowly escaped heavy defeat. Jack was then omitted from the side for the visit of Middlesex, but he took over as skipper in a friendly match against Scotland, when he declared twice without going to the crease himself at a time when he was badly in need of some batting practice. Left out of the side against Northamptonshire, he returned against Hampshire to make a third consecutive duck on a Blackpool pitch ‘of variable pace and bounce’ on which the visitors later collapsed for just 39. Not asked to play in the county’s next matches, he was once again wondering whether his years as a Lancashire player might have been coming to an end. Jack has been quick to acknowledge the moments in his career when Providence has been on his side, not least the well-concealed date of birth when he had first presented himself at the Secretary’s office. Now he was to enjoy another lucky break. The Lancashire team was scheduled to set off for a three-match tour taking in games against Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Essex. The Gloucestershire match was to be played at Cheltenham College as part of the annual Festival. To mark the occasion the College had arranged a sportsmen’s service for the Sunday, at which it was hoped a Lancashire player would read a lesson of nine verses in the chapel. The prospect had ‘We need someone to read nine verses’ 57