Lives in Cricket No 14 - Jack Bond

him an undefeated 64 at the end of 40 overs, was regarded (by those not in the know) as the man who had played for himself! For the traditionalists around Old Trafford, one-day success was little compensation for a poor performance in the Championship. Sixth place in 1968 had proved a false dawn as Lancashire slid back to fifteenth in the table. Yet they were not an easy team to beat, suffering just one defeat – to Derbyshire at Blackpool, where the batsmen failed by 16 runs to reach a target of 148. By comparison, second-placed Gloucestershire lost six times. Despite another damp summer the batsmen earned more bonus points but, with no Statham and with Higgs and Shuttleworth slipping back from outstandingly good years, the bowlers, responsible for 105 points the previous year, now brought in only 39. With no points awarded for a draw, Lancashire owed their lowly position to managing just two victories all summer, against the bottom county Somerset and over Middlesex at Lord’s, where victory came by 14 runs off the last available ball. ‘And there was this new competition’ 78 Formalities neatly observed.