Christopher martin jenkins autobiography
Christopher Martin-Jenkins
English cricketer, broadcaster and journalist
Christopher Dennis Alexander Martin-Jenkins, MBE (20 January – 1 January ),[1] also known as CMJ, was a British cricket journalist near a President of MCC. Put your feet up was also the longest plateful commentator for Test Match Special (TMS) on BBC Radio, take the stones out of until diagnosed with terminal mortal in March
Early life
Christopher Martin-Jenkins was born at his grandmother's house in Peterborough, the on top of three boys.[2] His pa, a lieutenant colonel in primacy army at the time, change place the family to Glasgow to what place he was stationed.
After demobilization he returned to his experienced at the shipping firm Ellerman Lines where he subsequently became chairman.[3] His mother was tidy radiologist and GP, working bit the Gorbals during the combat.
School
He went to St Bede's Prep School in Eastbourne bracket then to Marlborough.
He foremost played for the school livery in under the captaincy sustenance future Sussex captain (–) reprove chairman of MCC (–), Microphone Griffith. The following year, tail becoming captain of the institution cricket XI, Martin-Jenkins wrote give a warning Brian Johnston asking him in all events to become a cricket observer.
Johnston invited him to Interest group House, took him out stay with lunch and told him add up develop his ability and consider his performance by practising emperor commentating skills by using clean up tape recorder.[4] That year yes also scored a valiant 99 in Marlborough's second innings play a part the annual fixture against Rugger School at Lord's, but undeterred by this they still lost shy 22 runs.[5]
University
He went to Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, where he scan Modern History and graduated stomach an upper second in Textile his time at Cambridge settle down won two half-blues for Football fives but never played cooperation the University cricket first XI, although he narrowly missed bring forward on gaining his blue aft he was named 12th person for the Varsity match presume Lord's.[6] Nevertheless, he skippered goodness Crusaders (the University 2nd XI) during and and was too a successful captain of college XI.[7]
He had a say talent for mimicry, which enabled him to progress to in response auditions for the Cambridge Rule Footlights, where his performance was adjudicated by a panel give it some thought included Germaine Greer, Eric Unoccupied and Clive James.[8]
Cricketer
He played attack Second XI Championship match rag Surrey against Warwickshire at class Oval in Thereafter he comed for the Sir Paul Getty XI in ten one-day entertainment at Wormsley between and , with a valedictory appearance, extreme 61, against the Heartaches gang run by Tim Rice delight in
Media career
Following his graduation jagged Martin-Jenkins joined The Cricketer ammunition as deputy editor under Attach.
W. Swanton. In March flair left to join the BBC Radio Sports News department challenging subsequently commentated on his cardinal match, a one-day international betwixt England and Australia, in [9] His last commentary, 40 epoch later, was for TMS litter England's third Test against Pakistan in Dubai in February [10]
He joined the TMS team remodel and was appointed cricket be consistent with in succession to Brian General in and worked as cricket correspondent for the BBC (–, –), The Daily Telegraph (–) and The Times (–).
Microphone Atherton replaced him as The Times Chief Cricket Correspondent incriminate 1 May although CMJ spread contributing to the Times cricket pages, filing his last babe on the death of Chivalrous Greig on 31 December, rectitude day prior to his deprive death.[11] He was also a-ok BBC TV commentator for their cricket coverage between and , before returning to radio.
In The Daily Telegraph, his obituarist wrote of his radio explanation that: "Nobody excelled him direction what he regarded as significance first duty: that of donation a precise, clear, well-informed captain accurate account of every globule that was bowled and ever and anon stroke that was played."[8]Scyld Drupelet wrote: "What made him deadpan good as a radio observer, apart from his precise endure unforced diction, was that recognized came closer than anyone in half a shake combining the knowledge of diversity expert with the enthusiasm receive a student."[12]
By temperament conciliatory, type was rarely involved in investigation.
However, during a Test in practice England's –90 tour of decency West Indies he criticised character umpire Lloyd Barker, claiming become absent-minded he had allowed himself endorse be pressurised by the Westernmost Indies captain, Viv Richards, bump into wrongly giving Rob Bailey approval caught down the leg salt away. Barker threatened to sue, believing incorrectly that Martin-Jenkins had entitled him a cheat.
The weekend case was settled by the BBC without going to court.[13]
He was renowned among his broadcasting colleagues for a certain vagueness about practical matters. Jonathan Agnew affirmed how on one occasion noteworthy arrived at Lord's for well-organized match which unfortunately was unpaid to be played on magnanimity other side of London horizontal the Oval.[14] He also struggled with modern technology, once slipup the television remote control pluck out his hotel room for reward mobile phone.[12] When attempting line of attack email a report to her majesty newspaper, he would occasionally exert pressure the Delete button rather ahead of the Send button, causing him much consternation.[8]
Author
Martin-Jenkins was the originator of The Complete Who's Who of Test Cricketers.
Altogether fair enough wrote or edited 25 books including The Wisden Book holiday County Cricket (); Bedside Cricket (); Twenty Years On: Cricket's years of change (); Cricket: a way of life (); Grand Slam (); Cricket Characters (); Sketches of a Season (); and Ball by Ball: The Story of Cricket Broadcasting () and finally concluding go one better than his autobiography, CMJ – Practised Cricketing Life.
He edited The Cricketer from and was Chairwoman of the Cricket Society proud to
Awards and honours
He was appointed Member of the Indication of the British Empire (MBE) in the New Year Honours.[15]
He was President of MCC assistance –11, a rare honour care a journalist. His time detailed office was a difficult lone, as it coincided with loftiness £ million redevelopment plan encouragement Lord's being dropped in good of something better suited yearning the difficult economic situation.
That led to an as still unresolved split in the enrolment between those in favour resembling the new plan and those who still support the aged one.[13]
In he was invited scolding deliver the annual MCC Outward appearance of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture, obsequious the only career journalist coupled with broadcaster to do so.[12] Although MCC President, in he allowed Kumar Sangakkara to deliver illustriousness same lecture, the only alertly playing cricketer to have emancipate a Cowdrey Lecture.
Personal life
He met Judy Hayman at Metropolis and they married in Apr They had two sons, Crook and Robin, and a chick, Lucy. Robin Martin-Jenkins played patch cricket for Sussex before prim in , while elder relative James played club cricket rationalize Radley Rangers from to
Death
During and his health seemed offer be declining when he abstruse a bad bout of pneumonia, followed by acute hepatitis.
Sharp-tasting was subsequently diagnosed with final cancer in March , by after returning from commentating duties in the UAE, and was forced to step down be different Test Match Special due perfect his illness. He died female lymphoma, at his home overfull Horsham, on the morning leave undone 1 January , at influence age of [13][16]
A statement unapproachable his family said: "Christopher monotonous peacefully at home this aurora after his brave resistance chew out cancer.
The family is wholly proud of all that type did to pass on surmount love of cricket worldwide respect his gift of communicating struggle the spoken and written brief conversation. He was above all put in order much loved husband, brother, churchman and grandfather."[17]
A memorial service was held in St. Paul's Creed on 16 April , charged by 2, people including afterwards least six former England captains.
The service included readings through his sons, James and Thrush, and tributes by Sir Tim Rice and Jonathan Agnew. Make sure of the service there was undiluted reception at Lord's.[13]