A right-handed opening batsman of consistency and class, Jack Robertson was a heavy scorer in county cricket who averaged 46 runs per innings in Tests. Yet he played only eleven times for England, was dropped after making a century in 1949, and was never selected to face Australia.[2]
Born in Chiswick, London, England, it was Robertson's misfortune to be overshadowed by others, both in his international and county cricket career.[1] He came to prominence in wartime cricket for the Army when he scored 102 in July 1942 against the Royal Navy.[3] For the first half dozen years of cricket after World War II, England's preferred opening partnership was the trans-Pennine combination of Leonard Hutton and Cyril Washbrook;[2] Robertson's selection for the first Test of 1949 against New Zealand was the result of injury to Washbrook and, despite scoring 121 and sharing a partnership of 143 with Hutton, he lost his place.[2]
For Middlesex, Robertson often seemed similarly overshadowed by the batting of Denis Compton and Bill Edrich. Yet in the summer of 1947, when Compton's 3,816 runs and Edrich's 3,539 set new records for run-getting, Robertson was not far behind, making 2,760 runs with 12 centuries. He surpassed that in 1951 with 2,917 runs, the highest aggregate of any batsman that season. He could also bat as entertainingly as his better-known county colleagues. In 1949, he made an undefeated 331 in a day against Worcestershire at New Road, Worcester, an innings that remains the highest scored in first-class cricket by a Middlesex batsman, and the highest first-class innings by any batsman at New Road.
Robertson passed 1,000 runs in a season every year from 1946 until 1958 but, failing to find any form in 1959, he retired and became county coach.
jack, robertson, english, cricketer, south, african, cricketer, jack, robertson, south, african, cricketer, john, david, benbow, robertson, february, 1917, october, 1996, english, cricketer, played, county, cricket, middlesex, test, matches, england, jack, rob. For the South African cricketer see Jack Robertson South African cricketer John David Benbow Robertson 22 February 1917 12 October 1996 1 was an English cricketer who played county cricket for Middlesex and in 11 Test matches for England Jack RobertsonRobertson in 1946Personal informationFull nameJohn David Benbow RobertsonBorn 1917 02 22 22 February 1917Chiswick London EnglandDied12 October 1996 1996 10 12 aged 79 Bury St Edmunds Suffolk EnglandBattingRight handedBowlingRight arm offbreakInternational informationNational sideEnglandTest debut16 August 1947 v South AfricaLast Test6 February 1952 v IndiaCareer statisticsCompetition Test First classMatches 11 509Runs scored 881 31 914Batting average 46 36 37 50100s 50s 2 6 67 161Top score 133 331 Balls bowled 138 5 685Wickets 2 73Bowling average 29 00 34 735 wickets in innings 0 010 wickets in match 0 0Best bowling 2 17 4 37Catches stumpings 6 352 Source CricInfo 6 November 2022A right handed opening batsman of consistency and class Jack Robertson was a heavy scorer in county cricket who averaged 46 runs per innings in Tests Yet he played only eleven times for England was dropped after making a century in 1949 and was never selected to face Australia 2 Born in Chiswick London England it was Robertson s misfortune to be overshadowed by others both in his international and county cricket career 1 He came to prominence in wartime cricket for the Army when he scored 102 in July 1942 against the Royal Navy 3 For the first half dozen years of cricket after World War II England s preferred opening partnership was the trans Pennine combination of Leonard Hutton and Cyril Washbrook 2 Robertson s selection for the first Test of 1949 against New Zealand was the result of injury to Washbrook and despite scoring 121 and sharing a partnership of 143 with Hutton he lost his place 2 For Middlesex Robertson often seemed similarly overshadowed by the batting of Denis Compton and Bill Edrich Yet in the summer of 1947 when Compton s 3 816 runs and Edrich s 3 539 set new records for run getting Robertson was not far behind making 2 760 runs with 12 centuries He surpassed that in 1951 with 2 917 runs the highest aggregate of any batsman that season He could also bat as entertainingly as his better known county colleagues In 1949 he made an undefeated 331 in a day against Worcestershire at New Road Worcester an innings that remains the highest scored in first class cricket by a Middlesex batsman and the highest first class innings by any batsman at New Road Robertson passed 1 000 runs in a season every year from 1946 until 1958 but failing to find any form in 1959 he retired and became county coach He was one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1948 1 He died in October 1996 in Bury St Edmunds after years of ill health at the age of 79 and leaving a widow Joyce and a son 1 References edit a b c d Jack Robertson Cricinfo com Retrieved 27 April 2011 a b c Bateman Colin 1993 If The Cap Fits Tony Williams Publications p 141 ISBN 1 869833 21 X Whitaker Haddon editor Wisden Cricketers Almanack Seventy Ninth Edition 1943 pp 50 125External links edit nbsp Media related to Jack Robertson English cricketer at Wikimedia Commons Jack Robertson at ESPNcricinfo Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jack Robertson English cricketer amp oldid 1169621207, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
