John Arlott
Leslie Thomas John Arlott, was an English journalist, author and cricket commentator for the BBC's Test Match Special. He was also a poet and wine connoisseur. With his poetic phraseology, he became a cricket commentator noted for his "wonderful gift for evoking cricketing moments" by the BBC.
Early life
John Arlott was born in 1914 at Cemetery Lodge, Chapel Hill, Basingstoke in Hampshire, the son of cemetery registrar William John Arlott and Nellie. He attended Fairfields Primary School in Basingstoke before winning a scholarship to Queen Mary's Grammar School. Once at the school, however, he became embroiled in a feud with the headmaster, as the school "had not been wholly receptive to his young, independent, inquiring mind." Arlott eventually left the school of his own accord. He meanwhile showed an early interest in the local cricket matches; in 1926 he watched England and Australia play at The Oval, becoming a fan of Jack Hobbs, and later watched Sussex play Lancashire.Pre-media career 1930–46
After leaving school, following a brief stint at the local town hall where he learned to type, he spent four years working at Park Prewett Mental Hospital in Basingstoke as a records clerk. His friend David Rayvern Allen noted that it was there that "he discovered humanity in often dislocated forms, was fundamental to his personal development." This was followed by twelve years as a policeman in the Southampton County Borough Police Force, which later amalgamated with the Hampshire Constabulary in 1967. He progressed to the rank of sergeant while stationed at Southampton, and enjoyed the opportunity to watch Hampshire play at the County Ground while on duty at Northland Road. Though his cricket skills were not sufficient to play for the Southampton Police cricket XI, he was called upon at times to utilise the PA-system. He also studied Russian language and military history at the library of Southampton University, wrote reports for his chief constable, gave lectures to students, wrote poetry, and took up boxing, at which he was quite proficient.First-class cricket experience
He played cricket at club level but would spend most of his free summer time following the Hampshire team both home and away. As a result of his regular support he became known to the team and this led to his one and only brief playing exposure to the first-class game. He was watching Hampshire play Kent at Canterbury in August 1938 when they discovered they would be short of a twelfth man for the following game. Being willing and available, young Arlott was co-opted and he travelled with the team to Worcester. Hampshire had had to use three substitute fielders when two of their XI were injured and skipper Cecil Paris suffered a puncture on his way to the ground.The following day, the match report in the Western Daily Press named one of the substitutes as "Harlott", a local policeman and a Hampshire member. It was quite a memorable day in the field, with the Nawab of Pataudi scoring an elegant undefeated century for Worcester in one of his very rare appearances on the county circuit. The match ultimately fizzled out as just a tame draw with Hampshire scoring 313 and 91 – 2 and Worcester 413 – 3 declared. It was his one and only appearance in a first class cricket fixture and it proved to be the pinnacle of his playing career.
In 1980, he was asked whether playing first-class cricket on a regular basis might have provided him with greater insight as a cricket writer. He replied: "My word, I know what the problems are. I've failed at everything."
Broadcasting
BBC debut
After being invited to make a public radio address to George VI on VE Day, 1945, he attracted the attention of the BBC, and of John Betjeman, who became a mentor for Arlott's poetic ambitions. Arlott subsequently joined the BBC as the Overseas Literary Producer the following year.He was asked by the Head of the BBC Overseas Service, Donald Stevenson, to commentate on the warm-up games of India's tour of England in 1946. Arlott's commentary "went down very well in India" and he was invited to continue to commentate on further matches, including the Test matches, initiating a 34-year career as a cricket commentator for the BBC. At first he encountered some resentment from his colleagues in the commentary box, initially clashing with EW Swanton, but despite this he rapidly established his own particular niche. From 1946 until he retired at the end of the 1980 season, Arlott covered every single home Test match. He went on only two overseas England tours, to South Africa in 1948–1949 and Australia in 1954–1955.
''Test Match Special''
Prior to 1957, BBC radio covered every home Test match, with Arlott normally one of the commentators, but it did not broadcast uninterrupted ball-by-ball commentary. Test Match Special was launched on 30 May 1957, providing a full ball-by-ball Test Match commentary service on the medium wave service of the BBC Third Programme. The first match covered was the first Test between England and the West Indies at Edgbaston. The TMS commentators that day were Arlott, Rex Alston and E. W. Swanton, with summaries provided by Ken Ablack, from the West Indies, together with Norman Yardley and Freddie Brown. When he retired in September 1980, he was the longest-serving TMS commentator, equalled by Brian Johnston in 1993 and subsequently exceeded by Christopher Martin-Jenkins.Television commentary
Arlott undertook some BBC television cricket commentary, between 1964 and 1968 featuring matches between various counties vs an International Cavaliers X1, which were played on Sundays with 25 overs per side and then primarily on the Sunday League from 1969 to 1980. These John Player Sunday League limited over fixtures were 40 overs a side and were usually played between 2.00 pm and 6.30 pm. Arlott commentated on the first 20 overs of each innings with Jim Laker usually covering the last 20. He also briefly wrote, directed and narrated a topical local series for the BBC called ABC of the South in the 1960s but radio was his true metier.Commentating style
Arlott was a popular commentator partly because of his gift for poetic phraseology. The BBC commented that "the style of commentary owed much to the poet in John. He would relish the phrases he used to describe what he saw and leave his colleagues wishing they could have thought of them," while Wisden wrote: "it is his unique gift for cricket commentary which will bring him lasting fame... His commentary technique was strongly influenced by his poetic sense. With the economy of a poet he could describe a piece of play without fuss or over-elaboration, being always conscious of its rhythm and mindful of its background. He was never repetitive or monotonous, except for effect. The listener's imagination was given free rein."One comment often noted was made during the 1975 Cricket World Cup final, in which West Indian captain Clive Lloyd scored a century: Arlott described one shot by Lloyd as "the stroke of a man knocking a thistle top off with a walking stick." On England's 1948–9 tour to South Africa, the England captain George Mann was bowled by his namesake Tufty Mann. Arlott memorably described it as "a case of Mann's inhumanity to Mann". He also had the advantage of a very distinctive voice. Frank Keating wrote of his "articulate, leisurely, confiding countryman's burr". Keating also compared his stature as a radio journalist with those of Richard Dimbleby and Alistair Cooke.
Final Test Match
Arlott's final Test commentary was on the Centenary Test between England and Australia at Lord's in 1980. At the end of his last session on the final day, he concluded with his customary phrasing "nine runs off the over – 28 Boycott, 15 Gower, 69 for 2 – and after Trevor Bailey it will be Christopher Martin-Jenkins." At the end of the following over, a public address announcement that Arlott had completed his final commentary session prompted the crowd to give Arlott an ovation. The entire Australian team in the field and the two England batsmen joined in, with Geoffrey Boycott removing his batting gloves to applaud. Later that day, after the match ended in a draw, he came onto the Lord's balcony to present the Man of the Match award. When he appeared, the crowd below again burst into a spontaneous ovation that lasted for several minutes before he was finally able to speak and make the presentation to Kim Hughes.Four days later, Arlott returned to Lord's for his last commentary, covering the 1980 Gillette Cup final.
Writer
Arlott was a stylish writer, contributing regularly as a journalist and also writing the occasional hymn, of which the best-known is "God Whose Farm is All Creation", sung at harvest festival. Two others were "By the rutted roads we follow" for Plough Sunday and "We watched the winter turn its back" for Rogation. As his interest in wine developed he wrote two books on that subject; he also wrote poetry, considering his best poem to be the one dedicated to Sir Jack Hobbs on the latter's 70th birthday. Well-versed in cricket history, Arlott was often viewed as a leading authority, especially on the literature of the game. He wrote annual reviews of the year's cricket books for Wisden for every year from 1950 until 1992, except for 1979 and 1980. He also wrote a well received appreciation of Neville Cardus for the 1965 edition. He wrote articles on cricket art and history for the encyclopaedia Barclays World of Cricket.He had many books published, including: Of Period and Place, a book of poetry ; Indian Summer ; Concerning Cricket ; Maurice Tate ; Test Match Diary ; Vintage Summer ; Fred – Portrait of a Fast bowler ; A Hundred Years of County Cricket ; John Arlott's book of cricketers ; Jack Hobbs: Profile of the Master and Basingstoke Boy: The Autobiography. A Word From Arlott and Arlott in Conversation were published in 1983 and 1984 respectively as collections of his commentaries and writings. He was also the narrator and technical advisor for the documentary short film Cricket.