Lives in Cricket No 14 - Jack Bond

overs we set attacking fields, encouraging the bowlers to pitch the ball up as well, so we had the chance of bowling people out when they were hitting across the line. And the fielding became very important. Some of the catches and run outs and ground fielding – it was tremendous.’ This was the hallmark of Jack’s leadership, the trait that had been noticeable even in the difficult early matches of the previous summer. A man whose fielding had often helped to secure his place in the side in his younger days never lost his enthusiasm for this side of the game. ‘We enjoyed fielding. It wasn’t a case of getting the two and a half hours’ fielding over and then start batting – it was a real enjoyment to go and field.’ There was no play on 3 August in the scheduled match with Yorkshire at Old Trafford, but it was business as usual at Leicester with a 65-run victory on 10 August. Essex, the only side to have beaten Lancashire, had been hot on their heels all summer, but on this same Sunday they had lost to Surrey at Leyton. After this round of matches the top of the table read: Played Won Tied Lost N/R Points Lancashire 13 11 0 1 1 45 Essex 13 9 0 3 1 37 Surrey 13 9 0 3 1 37 Hampshire 12 9 0 3 0 36 Only three counties had a mathematical chance of overhauling Lancashire. While Surrey had dealt a blow to Essex’s chances, Hampshire had won four matches in a row, including a dramatic one-run defeat of Leicestershire when they had achieved a run out on the final ball. With a game in hand on the other front runners, their next match was at Old Trafford. The Lancashire team was beginning to attract the enthusiastic and vocal crowds hitherto associated with the other Old Trafford, but Sunday cricket was also becoming a family day out. For the visit of Hampshire there were 12,000 in the ground, more than paid to watch all eight of Worcestershire’s home matches in the league that summer. For Lancashire, victory would mean that the title was virtually guaranteed, with Essex or Surrey needing a miraculously increased run rate to make a challenge. Hopes that Lancashire might be crowned in front of their home supporters perished as their batsmen fell 48 short of Hampshire’s 76 ‘And there was this new competition’