Jack Bond
Encyclopedia
John David "Jack" Bond, born in Kearsley
, near Bolton
, Lancashire
, on 6 May 1932, is a former cricket
er who played for Lancashire
and, for one season, for Nottinghamshire
.
Jack Bond was a right-handed middle order batsman and a good close fielder who had a fairly unspectacular county cricket career for Lancashire from 1955, being assured of a regular place in a strong batting line-up in only a few seasons, among them 1962, when he scored 2,125 runs at an average of more than 36. But by the mid-1960s, he was second eleven captain and an irregular first-class cricketer.
Success with the second team, though, led to an unexpected call-up to be first team captain from 1968 and over the next five seasons, Bond led a previously under-achieving side to a run of success in one-day cricket competitions that has not been equalled. Intensively competitive, Bond led by example in the field and often made useful runs, normally batting at No 6 or lower. A mostly young team included future England
cricketers such as Barry Wood, David Lloyd
, Frank Hayes
, Peter Lever
and Ken Shuttleworth
, and Lancashire recruited proven matchwinners in Clive Lloyd
and Farokh Engineer
as the overseas stars.
But Bond's great ability was to get match-winning performances out of average county players in one-day games, and he was also a pioneer in using spin bowlers as an integral part of a one-day attack. Under him, Lancashire won the Sunday cricket league
in its first two seasons, 1969 and 1970, and took the premier one-day trophy, then called the Gillette Cup, for three seasons in a row from 1970 to 1972, a feat that has not been equalled. The county challenged for the County Championship
more strongly during Bond's captaincy than for many years, but he did not achieve the same success in the first-class game.
Bond was named as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year for his captaincy in 1971. He also took a famous catch to dismiss Asif Iqbal
, which turned the Gillette Cup Final that year. He retired from Lancashire after the 1972 season then came back unsuccessfully to first-class cricket as player-manager of Nottinghamshire for a single season in 1974. In the mid 70s Bond moved to the Isle of Man, becoming Head Coach and Cricket Professional at King William's College. He also revealed himself as a fine table tennis player, leading the KWC team to the top of the Manx leagues and winning the Island championships himself. He returned to Old Trafford in the 1980s, as the manager of Lancashire. Jack now cooks breakfast for the grounds staff at Lancashire County Cricket Club.
Kearsley
Kearsley is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically within Lancashire, it lies about 7½ miles northwest of Manchester,5.5 miles south-west of Bury, and about 3¾ miles south of Bolton.It is bounded on the west by Walkden, the east by...
, near Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, on 6 May 1932, is a former cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played for Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
and, for one season, for Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
.
Jack Bond was a right-handed middle order batsman and a good close fielder who had a fairly unspectacular county cricket career for Lancashire from 1955, being assured of a regular place in a strong batting line-up in only a few seasons, among them 1962, when he scored 2,125 runs at an average of more than 36. But by the mid-1960s, he was second eleven captain and an irregular first-class cricketer.
Success with the second team, though, led to an unexpected call-up to be first team captain from 1968 and over the next five seasons, Bond led a previously under-achieving side to a run of success in one-day cricket competitions that has not been equalled. Intensively competitive, Bond led by example in the field and often made useful runs, normally batting at No 6 or lower. A mostly young team included future England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
cricketers such as Barry Wood, David Lloyd
David Lloyd (cricketer)
David Lloyd is a former English cricketer who played county cricket for Lancashire and Test and One Day International cricket for England. He also played semi-professional football for Accrington Stanley...
, Frank Hayes
Frank Hayes (cricketer)
Frank Charles Hayes is a former English cricketer, who played in nine Tests and six ODIs from 1973 to 1976...
, Peter Lever
Peter Lever
Peter Lever is a former English cricketer, who played in seventeen Tests and ten ODIs for England from 1970 to 1975. He was a successful wicket taker, taking 41 victims from those seventeen Tests, and a handy batsman with a top score of 88 not out...
and Ken Shuttleworth
Ken Shuttleworth (cricketer)
Kenneth Shuttleworth is an English former cricketer. He played five Test matches and one One Day International for England in the early 1970s.-Life and career:...
, and Lancashire recruited proven matchwinners in Clive Lloyd
Clive Lloyd
Clive Hubert Lloyd CBE AO is a former West Indies cricketer. He captained the West Indies between 1974 and 1985 and oversaw their rise to become the dominant Test-playing nation, a position that was only relinquished in the latter half of the 1990s...
and Farokh Engineer
Farokh Engineer
Farokh Maneksha Engineer is a former Indian cricketer of Parsi background who played 46 Tests for India and played first-class cricket for Mumbai in India and Lancashire in England. Engineer's active international career started in 1961 and continued to 1975, and he was India's first-choice...
as the overseas stars.
But Bond's great ability was to get match-winning performances out of average county players in one-day games, and he was also a pioneer in using spin bowlers as an integral part of a one-day attack. Under him, Lancashire won the Sunday cricket league
National League (cricket)
The NatWest Pro40 League was a one-day cricket league for first-class cricket counties in England and Wales. It was inaugurated in 1999, but was essentially the old Sunday League retitled to reflect the fact that large numbers of matches were played on days other than Sunday.-Sunday League:The...
in its first two seasons, 1969 and 1970, and took the premier one-day trophy, then called the Gillette Cup, for three seasons in a row from 1970 to 1972, a feat that has not been equalled. The county challenged for the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
more strongly during Bond's captaincy than for many years, but he did not achieve the same success in the first-class game.
Bond was named as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year for his captaincy in 1971. He also took a famous catch to dismiss Asif Iqbal
Asif Iqbal (cricketer)
Asif Iqbal Razvi is a Pakistani cricketer who captained Pakistan and Kent CCC. He is now an ICC Match Referee....
, which turned the Gillette Cup Final that year. He retired from Lancashire after the 1972 season then came back unsuccessfully to first-class cricket as player-manager of Nottinghamshire for a single season in 1974. In the mid 70s Bond moved to the Isle of Man, becoming Head Coach and Cricket Professional at King William's College. He also revealed himself as a fine table tennis player, leading the KWC team to the top of the Manx leagues and winning the Island championships himself. He returned to Old Trafford in the 1980s, as the manager of Lancashire. Jack now cooks breakfast for the grounds staff at Lancashire County Cricket Club.