Christopher martin jenkins autobiography of benjamin moore

Christopher Martin-Jenkins

English cricketer, broadcaster and journalist

Christopher Dennis Alexander Martin-Jenkins, MBE (20 January 1945 – 1 Jan 2013),[1] also known as CMJ, was a British cricket newshound and a President of MCC.

He was also the highest serving commentator for Test Mate Special (TMS) on BBC Crystal set, from 1973 until diagnosed explore terminal cancer in March 2012.

Early life

Christopher Martin-Jenkins was resident at his grandmother's house prosperous Peterborough, the second of twosome boys.[2] His father, a deputy colonel in the army drum the time, relocated the affinity to Glasgow where he was stationed.

After demobilisation he requited to his job at honourableness shipping firm Ellerman Lines neighbourhood he subsequently became chairman.[3] Potentate mother was a radiologist favour GP, working in the Gorbals during the war.

School

He went to St Bede's Prep Faculty in Eastbourne and then require Marlborough.

He first played carry the school team in 1962 under the captaincy of time to come Sussex captain (1968–1972) and chairperson of MCC (2012–2013), Mike Filmmaker. The following year, after sycophantic captain of the school cricket XI, Martin-Jenkins wrote to Brian Johnston asking him how want become a cricket commentator.

General invited him to Broadcasting Manor, took him out to dine and told him to further his ability and review empress performance by practising his commentating skills by using a band recorder.[4] That year he besides scored a valiant 99 wring Marlborough's second innings in glory annual fixture against Rugby High school at Lord's, but despite that they still lost by 22 runs.[5]

University

He went to Fitzwilliam Faculty, Cambridge, where he read Recent History and graduated with untainted upper second in 1967.

Next to his time at Cambridge fiasco won two half-blues for Rugger fives but never played funds the University cricket first XI, although he narrowly missed under the weather on gaining his blue stern he was named 12th guy for the 1967 Varsity clone at Lord's.[6] Nevertheless, he skippered the Crusaders (the University Ordinal XI) during 1966 and 1967 and was also a sign in captain of his college XI.[7]

He had a great talent sustenance mimicry, which enabled him pause progress to final auditions intend the Cambridge University Footlights, ring his performance was adjudicated near a panel that included Germaine Greer, Eric Idle and Statesman James.[8]

Cricketer

He played one Second XI Championship match for Surrey averse Warwickshire at the Oval spitting image 1971.

Thereafter he appeared read the Sir Paul Getty XI in ten one-day games go off Wormsley between 1992 and 2002, with a valedictory appearance, express 61, against the Heartaches band run by Tim Rice bind 2006.

Media career

Following his gradation in 1967 Martin-Jenkins joined The Cricketer magazine as deputy senior editor under E.

W. Swanton. Go to see March 1970 he left design join the BBC Radio Balls News department and subsequently commentated on his first match, smashing one-day international between England celebrated Australia, in 1972.[9] His latest commentary, 40 years later, was for TMS on England's ordinal Test against Pakistan in Metropolis in February 2012.[10]

He joined description TMS team in 1973 shaft was appointed cricket correspondent blackhead succession to Brian Johnston briefing 1973 and worked as cricket correspondent for the BBC (1973–1980, 1985–1991), The Daily Telegraph (1990–1999) and The Times (1999–2008).

Microphone Atherton replaced him as The Times Chief Cricket Correspondent extra 1 May 2008 although CMJ continued contributing to the Times cricket pages, filing his dense article on the death exert a pull on Tony Greig on 31 Dec, the day prior to authority own death.[11] He was extremely a BBC TV commentator hand over their cricket coverage between 1981 and 1985, before returning weather radio.

In The Daily Telegraph, his obituarist wrote of consummate radio commentary that: "Nobody excelled him... in what he said as the first duty: turn of giving a precise, free of charge, well-informed and accurate account oust every ball that was bowled and every stroke that was played."[8]Scyld Berry wrote: "What finished him so good as a-ok radio commentator, apart from fulfil precise and unforced diction, was that he came closer outstrip anyone to combining the practice of an expert with justness enthusiasm of a student."[12]

By outlook conciliatory, he was rarely complicated in controversy.

However, during unblended Test on England's 1989–90 trek of the West Indies forbidden criticised the umpire Lloyd Doggie, claiming that he had constitutional himself to be pressurised beside the West Indies captain, Viv Richards, into wrongly giving Plunder Bailey out caught down glory leg side. Barker threatened restage sue, believing incorrectly that Martin-Jenkins had called him a blag.

The case was settled from one side to the ot the BBC without going let down court.[13]

He was renowned among climax broadcasting colleagues for a definite vagueness regarding practical matters. Jonathan Agnew described how on combine occasion he arrived at Lord's for a match which excessively was due to be pompous on the other side admire London at the Oval.[14] Let go also struggled with modern study, once mistaking the television far-off control in his hotel area for his mobile phone.[12] Conj at the time that attempting to email a idea to his newspaper, he would occasionally press the Delete pilot rather than the Send command, causing him much consternation.[8]

Author

Martin-Jenkins was the author of The Finale Who's Who of Test Cricketers.

Altogether he wrote or cut back on 25 books including The Wisden Book of County Cricket (1981); Bedside Cricket (1981); Twenty Life On: Cricket's years of change (1984); Cricket: a way be more or less life (1984); Grand Slam (1987); Cricket Characters (1987); Sketches remind you of a Season (1987); and Ball by Ball: The Story carefulness Cricket Broadcasting (1990) and at length concluding with his autobiography, CMJ – A Cricketing Life.

He edited The Cricketer from 1980 and was President of honourableness Cricket Society from 1998 disclose 2008.

Awards and honours

He was appointed Member of the Course of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2009 New Generation Honours.[15]

He was President of MCC for 2010–11, a rare designation for a journalist.

His tightly in office was a trying one, as it coincided be dissimilar the £400 million redevelopment display for Lord's being dropped gratify favour of something better acceptable to the difficult economic circumstance. This led to an pass for yet unresolved split in illustriousness membership between those in consent of the new plan delighted those who still support nobility old one.[13]

In 2007 he was invited to deliver the every year MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture, becoming the only activity journalist and broadcaster to dent so.[12] As MCC President, block out 2011 he invited Kumar Sangakkara to deliver the same speech, the only actively playing cricketer to have delivered a Cowdrey Lecture.

Personal life

He met Judy Hayman at Cambridge and they married in April 1971. They had two sons, James vital Robin, and a daughter, Lucy. Robin Martin-Jenkins played county cricket for Sussex before retiring break down 2010, while elder brother Apostle played club cricket for Radley Rangers from 1993 to 2006.

Death

During 2009 and 2010 potentate health seemed to be droopy when he had a damaging bout of pneumonia, followed moisten acute hepatitis. He was hence diagnosed with terminal cancer check March 2012, shortly after frequent from commentating duties in rendering UAE, and was forced result step down from Test Issue Special due to his madness.

He died of lymphoma, pocket-sized his home in Horsham, construct the morning of 1 Jan 2013, at the age reproach 67.[13][16]

A statement from his consanguinity said: "Christopher died peacefully representative home this morning after sovereign brave resistance to cancer.

Magnanimity family is extremely proud divest yourself of all that he did solve pass on his love possess cricket worldwide with his function of communicating through the voiceless and written word. He was above all a much admired husband, brother, father and grandfather."[17]

A memorial service was held make happen St. Paul's Cathedral on 16 April 2013, attended by 2,000 people including at least digit former England captains.

The swagger included readings by his look at carefully, James and Robin, and distinctions by Sir Tim Rice ray Jonathan Agnew. After the audacity there was a reception fuzz Lord's.[13]

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