CRICKET: Tributes were paid to “the voice of cricket” Christopher Martin-Jenkins, who has died from cancer. He was 67.
A fitting testimonial to the broadcaster and journalist was perhaps made when he was nominated for president of Marylebone Cricket Club in 2010, by the incumbent John Barclay.
“When CMJ appears on the radio, he makes you feel that all is right with the world,” Barclay said.
Following his death tributes flooded in for the father-of-three who was described as “one of the voices of the English summer”, “a true gentleman” and “one of cricket’s most respected writers and broadcasters”.
Born in Peterborough, Martin-Jenkins joined the BBC as part of the Test Match Special team in 1973 having previously had a modest cricketing career that peaked with a 99 for Marlborough at Lord’s.
He worked as the BBC’s cricket correspondent twice, firstly between 1973 and 1980 and secondly between 1985 and 1991, while also commentating on the network’s television coverage between 1981 and 1985.
Martin-Jenkins was the Daily Telegraph’s cricket correspondent from 1990 to 1999 and then moved to the Times, where he was succeeded by former England batsman Michael Atherton in 2008. He continued to contribute to the cricket coverage in the newspaper and also wrote numerous books about the sport.
He was diagnosed with terminal cancer in January 2012, shortly after returning from covering England’s tour of the United Arab Emirates for TMS and he died yesterday.
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