Lives in Cricet No 33 - Jack Robertson and Syd Brown

116 New Partners ‘a sheer joy to watch’ and wondered whether he might not yet play for several more seasons. Unfortunately, having resisted the quicker bowlers for three hours, Sussex captain Robin Marlar induced him to hit an off- spinner hard into the capable hands of Alan Oakman at short mid on. A month later, at Cardiff, Jack again came close to a century, this time batting uncharacteristically grimly for the whole of the last day to make 93 not out to prevent a Glamorgan victory. His last fifty of the season and, as it would turn out, of his first-class career, came at The Oval at the beginning of August against eventual champions Surrey, who easily beat their north London rivals in two days, with Lock and Laker sharing 16 wickets on a difficult pitch. With scores of 58 out of 122 and 48 (run out) out of 131, Jack again dominated the Middlesex batting. 162 The Times described his batting as ‘a text book brought to life’ and ‘as accomplished batsmanship as one could wish’ and suggested, as have others, that ‘if he had not been so unassuming and self-effacing he might even now be opening England’s innings.’ In the first innings he angered the easily- angered Lock by hooking him to the boundary several times. The crowd on the second day had been some 15,000. By this time Jack had dropped down to four, both to bolster the middle order and to allow Eric Russell to move up and form what would prove to be a successful opening partnership with Gale, who made Middlesex’s only two centuries of the season. Scots-born Russell had moved south whilst young and would go on to win ten Test caps and score 25,000 first-class runs: it was appropriate that the stylish Robertson would be replaced in the Middlesex side by another batsman of great elegance. At the end of the season Jack was appointed the county’s coach. According to Joyce he had always wanted to stay in cricket and coaching was the perfect opportunity. However, these responsibilities meant that the family had to leave Cornwall in order to be closer to Lord’s, and for the next 36 years they lived in a house in Bushey Heath, south Hertfordshire which they named Stikiwikits. (Try reading it backwards.) 162 The only other batsmen who reached double figures for Middlesex were Russell (25) and Gale (11) in the first innings, and Moss (11 not out) in the second.