Lives in Cricket No 14 - Jack Bond

Chapter Nine ‘They stormed the gates to get in’ The elation of winning the new John Player League could not conceal Jack’s disappointment at slipping back in the Championship. ‘The County Championship is the one where you feel as if you’ve really achieved something. The season would have been really horrendous if we had lost, say, six games, but the mere fact that we’d only lost once – at least we came away from the season with a bit of pride because of it. But we were so disappointed because we had done so well in the County Championship the season before.’ That winter Jack prepared for his benefit. A decade later the professionally organised six-figure benefit would become commonplace for those who played for a major county; but in 1970 it was all more homespun. Jack went round the pubs with bats to be raffled, spending as much on drinks in some places as he took for the fund, but he never attended the meetings of his benefit committee. ‘I probably made the mistake of not paying enough attention to my benefit that year because I was the captain and I was so involved in what was going on, on the field,’ he says. About £2,000 was taken at his chosen match, the championship fixture against Yorkshire, and his final cheque was for £7,230 17s 4d. ‘It was still a decent sum,’ he feels. ‘It represented a lot of work by a lot of people, and it was very much appreciated.’ As he prepared for the new season, Jack was determined that there would be improvements. He had good reason for optimism. There was a vibrant air in the dressing room: he had a young and enthusiastic team and, for the first time, they could look forward to a full season with Clive Lloyd in their ranks. Not 26 until mid-summer, Lloyd was approaching the peak of his ability. As a batsman few could match the range and power of his left-handed strokes, while as a lurking presence in the covers his name was linked with the South African Colin Bland as the best fielder in the world. Moreover, Lloyd was a bowler to whom his captain would soon be turning when in need of a wicket. A contract dispute had 80