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Alan Parry : a football commentator tries Cricket

As a fledgling sports reporter and commentator, I moved from my local station, Radio Merseyside, to join the BBC's main sports department in London back in 1972. Being the 'newbie' in the office, I was somewhat in awe of the department's famous names like Des Lynam, Peter Jones, Bryon Butler and Christopher Martin-Jenkins.

My love of football enabled me to have sensible conversations with the first three broadcasting luminaries, but what could I say to 'Jenko' as he was known?

Coming from Liverpool, where cricket is regarded as an interruption between football seasons, I had nothing in common with this posh chap who was once 12th man for Cambridge University's cricket team in a Varsity match at Lord's.

Well, I didn't need to be concerned because I soon discovered that Jenko was a lovely, affable character with a sense of humour that would have gone down well in my home city, where comedians are found on every street.

At the end of my first few days in the department, Jenko asked if I had any plans for that weekend. I didn't, so he invited me to a charity cricket match near his home in Surrey. 'Do you bat or bowl?' he asked. 'Neither', I replied. 'Just stick me on the boundary out of harm's way.'

On a warm Bank Holiday Sunday, a much bigger crowd than I had expected had gathered in anticipation of seeing some top players in action. Jenko loaned me a pair of whites and a jumper and duly dispatched me to the boundary where spectators were enjoying picnics in the sunshine.

Before the first ball was bowled, a man in the crowd shouted to me 'Seconds?' and seeing my puzzled expression, repeated 'Seconds?' pointing to my jumper. I then realised that the sweater Jenko had loaned to me bore the colours of Surrey CCC.

'Oh, no', I replied, but before I could elaborate the opening batsman sent a lofted drive arrowing towards me for what should have been a simple catch. Needless to say, I dropped the ball and didn't need to explain to the gentleman in the crowd that Surrey had never made the mistake of selecting me for their second team!

From that day onwards, my cricketing memories were confined to watching the action on TV or, before his untimely death, listening to my dear friend Jenko on Test Match Special. I still miss him.

Memory added on January 7, 2021

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