Lives in Cricket No 45 - Brief Candles 2

41 Chapter Three Number 11 In first-class cricket at least, there seems to be something about the surname Martin that goes with a degree of batting ineptitude. The batting exploits - or rather non-exploits - of recent New Zealand Test cricketer Chris Martin won him friends and fans around the world. In his sole Test for England, in 1947, Jack Martin actually batted below über-rabbit Eric Hollies in one innings. Essex’s Arthur Martin played three matches for the county in the early 1920s, batting three times - and recorded three ducks. And there are others who could be added to that list. But not all Martins shared this low level of batting skill, even if they shared the same position in the batting order. And it is one of these stronger batsmen who merits our attention here, for we need to talk about Kevin Martin . I first came across his name several years ago when poring - as you do - over the list of tenth-wicket partnerships in the Wisden Book of Cricket Records . There we see this entry, quite high up the list: 54* N.A.McDonald, Natal B v Griqualand West Kimberley 1965/66 K.C.Martin followed by the eye-catching note in italics: This was Martin’s only innings in first-class cricket Now hang on - how could any player have such a start to his batting career, and never have the opportunity to show his batting skills again? And while we’re about it, what was he doing at number 11 - if he was batting there he must have been principally a bowler or a wicket-keeper, mustn’t he? I let those questions lie for many years, but latterly, research into some Brief Candles brought them once again to the front of my mind. How could I find out more? Surely the best way would be to ask the man himself. But how to make contact with one who hadn’t played at the top level since the mid-1960s? Who in South Africa is likely to know anything about anyone who ever played there? Of course … An email to Andrew Samson did the trick. Somehow he - or more precisely his wife - was able to make contact with Kevin by phone, and explain that there was someone in England who wanted to find out about his life in cricket. A follow-up email got us into direct contact: and lo and behold, it turned out that Kevin and his wife were coming to England to visit family in the next couple of months. We arranged to meet at his son’s house in south-west London; and what follows is the outcome.