Jack Martin (cricketer)

John William Martin (16 February 1917 – 4 January 1987) was an English amateur cricketer who played in one Test match for the England cricket team in 1947. In a career which spanned 15-years either side of World War II Martin played in only 44 first-class cricket matches, mainly for Kent County Cricket Club.[1][2]

Jack Martin
Personal information
Full name
John William Martin
Born(1917-02-16)16 February 1917
Catford, London
Died4 January 1987(1987-01-04) (aged 69)
Woolwich, London
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm fast
International information
National side
Only Test (cap 319)7 June 1947 v South Africa
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1939–1953Kent
Career statistics
Competition Tests First-class
Matches 1 44
Runs scored 26 623
Batting average 13.00 11.53
100s/50s 0/0 0/0
Top score 26 40
Balls bowled 270 9,608
Wickets 1 162
Bowling average 111.00 24.00
5 wickets in innings 0 8
10 wickets in match 0 1
Best bowling 1/111 7/53
Catches/stumpings 0/– 32/–
Source: CricInfo, 17 December 2018

Martin was born in Catford in London.[3] Most of his time was taken up with business work, and most of his cricket was played at club level for Catford Wanderers. When Martin was available for Kent his height and pace almost always made him valuable for a team mainly reliant on Fred Ridgway for pace bowling. Martin won his county cap in 1946 and in 1947, as a result of taking 4/55 for MCC against the touring South Africans and 9/98 for Kent against Hampshire, was selected for the First Test against South Africa at Trent Bridge.[3][4][5]

Although by no means genuinely fast, Martin had sufficient speed to offer contrast to an English attack dominated by spin and medium paced seam bowlers.

During World War II Martin served as a battery commander in the Royal Artillery.[6] Martin died at Woolwich in London in January 1987 at the age of 69.[3]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Jack Martin, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2018-12-17.
  2. ^ Carlaw D (2020) Kent County Cricketers A to Z. Part Two: 1919–1939, pp. 124–126. (Available online at the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. Retrieved 2020-07-01.)
  3. ^ a b c Jack Martin, CricInfo. Retrieved 2018-12-17.
  4. ^ Martin, Jon William, Obituaries in 1987, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 1988. Retrieved 2018-12-17.
  5. ^ First Test Match, England v South Africa, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 1948. Retrieved 2018-12-17.
  6. ^ Club history, Royal Artillery Cricket Club. Retrieved 2018-12-17. (Archived version available. Archived 2020-11-10.)

External links edit