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Book Of The Year Award > 2011 > Jack Bond - Lancashire Lad, Lancashire Leader
Douglas Miller, ACS Publications
Purchase on Amazon
 Much like the book on Michael Falcon, the discerning Douglas Miller gives us a picture of a much more modern cricketer but one whose career seems even more unlikely than that of the earlier amateur. How could a cricketer have a first-class career of twenty years, when he didn't bowl and only exceeded a thousand runs in a season on two occasions, never averaging over thirty seven with a career average of under twenty six? Today, that cricketer might well be ushered towards the exit after three years, 767 runs and an average under sixteen.
True, Lancashire did make several attempts to curtail Jack Bond's first-class career by offering him the second XI captaincy, which was deemed to preclude any appearances in the first team. Doggedly and confident of his own ability, Jack Bond always turned the permanent position in the second team down while being willing to show his batting and leadership qualities whenever he was given the opportunity. The author credits, as does the subject, his ingrained Methodism for Jack's inner fortitude and equanimity in the face of considerable difficulties.
The Lancashire dressing-room seems to have been a mirror-image of the Yorkshire dressing-room of the same period with the interesting variant that while Yorkshire only had to put up with Brian Sellers, the Lancashire team had what seems like an army of unqualified and vociferous Committee members to put up with. Add the baleful presence of Cyril Washbrook, who one would have thought might have been more sympathetic, given his early struggles and it's no surprise that talented players walked away and independently-minded ones were summarily dispensed with. It's a very depressing part of the book.
Eventually, with no one left to turn to, Jack Bond was given the captaincy, on a caretaker basis, as he was briskly informed, while the Committee looked elsewhere for a permanent occupant. Thankfully, they never found that occupant and the aging professional, who had always prided himself on his fielding skills, took Lancashire into a new world of one-day success and huge crowds. Characters people the pages but two stand out. Farokh Engineer, surely the greatest asset to a dressing-room that ever was and the often forgotten John Sullivan, happy to do whatever was best for the team, even if it meant standing down.
I always enjoy Doulas Miller's books and this is no exception. Finely written and diligently researched, he captures the essence of the man who is Jack Bond. A curious coincidence can be found in a far less worthwhile book by Ronnie Irani where he talks about a mid-morning sighting of Jack, driving a van for a well-known local firm. Irani was making extra cash while his career stuttered by running a fruit and veg business with a partner and he viewed the fact that Jack, who he liked immensely and had great respect for as a player and umpire, had suffered a massive comedown for a star cricketer. This made Ronnie keen to forge a profitable career for himself. Jack wouldn't have seen it that way and might well have quoted the dignity of labour and the need to keep occupied if he even thought it worthy of comment.
This is a very good book about a very decent man, not just a cricketer but a human being. Our thanks to Douglas for this insight into a corner of cricket rarely viewed.
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