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Graeme Fowler
“If I knew then what I know now”. That is probably the most stupid phrase anyone can ever say. At the time we all make decisions based on the current facts, our personal information and experience. No one ,in my experience makes a bad decision on purpose.However, looking back is not always a pointless exercise. Memories are one of our most precious gifts that we carry with us. Often, in a senior moment I find myself completely absorbed in my own little world in a previous decade.
I guess this whole publication is based on memories. I still cannot believe one of my students from the Durham university centre of Excellence is having a benefit year. When MJ asked me to write this little piece, to be frank I was horrified. Horrified that I am so old. MJ having a benefit? That tall, slim, dry as sticks, talented laid back alrounder having a benefit? My how time has flown.
1996 September, the birth date of the Centre. I inherited the players already within the University. They were told there was now a Centre of Excellence and they were in it, like it or not. Looking back I inherited an incredible bunch of future cricketers. At the time they were full of potential. Only now years later can we recognise their names, because they did fulfil their potential. Here goes, see how many you know. Ben Hutton, who was permanently attached to Andy Strauss. No one ever saw one of them on their own. I don’t know who was leading who around, but whenever they arrived , they were a very funny double act.
Luke Sutton, formerly of Somerset, Captain of Derbyshire and now at Lancashire. He is one of the most inwardly strong people I have ever met. A fearsome athlete and so I am told, very handsome. Mark Chilton, Captain of Lancashire.Quite simply a truly great bloke and Robin Martin-Jenkins. What do I remember of “Tucker”? Well, at the time he was undoubtedly the most talented of them. A natural athlete (that means he didn’t relish training). He had a future as a batsman. He had a future as a bowler . He certainly had a future as an alrounder. Of all the students/players that have passed through Durham University since 1996 Robin was the most talented. He stuck out like a sore thumb. It was so obvious to me. He had England written all over him. Of course in reaching that level. We all need a little help, luck and sometimes a little more. According to popular press I only ever played for England because Graham Gooch was banned. That was my break.
To this day I cannot believe he didn’t wear the three lions. I know injuries have thwarted him on occasions. I know other cricketers were preferred, some wrongly, some very wrongly. Form does not always bless you at the right time either. Maybe if he had headbutted a batsman or two, behaved badly in the dressing room (never harmed at least one England Captain) he would have been described as made of fighting stuff.
As we who are lucky to know him, that is not the Robin way. He really is the strong silent type. He justs gets things done without a fuss. Ready with a dry wtty quip or intelligent comment. Not the head butting type really. Happy just to quietly enjoy his journey through his carreer and life. He probably feels a little embarrassed about the attention a benefit year creates.
I hope Robin enjoys his year. He has always been an ambassador for Sussex and cricket and richly deserves all the support I know he will get. Cricket was only ever a small part of his potential, it was in 1996, it is now. A highly talented cricketer, an incredibly talented human being. I know he will fulfil his potential in life, but for the time being let’s celebrate his cricket.
Graeme Fowler.
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Peter Moores
The first time I saw the real talent of RMJ was from the non strikers end as he proceeded to deposit Anil Kumble into the deck chairs for a quite enormous six. What made the shot even more remarkable was that he did it from the crease with what appeared effortless ease. The game was Sussex v Northants in 1995 when RMJ was still at university and just breaking into the game. At the time I didn’t realise that RMJ was going to have such an impact on his native County but I did realise he had a rare talent for hitting a cricket ball. Robin went on to make his first fifty for Sussex that day and as he now has close to six thousand runs and three hundred wickets and has been a key player in Sussex’s rise over the last decade.More…Andrew Strauss
My first memory of “Tucker” came shortly after I arrived at Radley College as an awkward, spotty and totally overawed 13 year old. Everywhere I looked, I saw fully grown adolescent men, whose voices had broken, who were intimidating beyond imagination to someone who looked closer to 11 than a teenager.In those first days of school, you had to sink or swim on your own. The older pupils tended to only talk to the new boys when they needed something doing, so it was not surprising that I was just beginning to run for cover when this giant beanpole from the year above approached me. “Hello there, I’m Robin, How have your first few weeks been? I hear you play cricket.” I was flabbergasted that he was actually trying to make conversation with me, and that he was actually being kind of nice.More…
Jonathan Agnew
I feel as if I have followed every inch of Robin’s path through professional cricket. This is not necessarily due to having sat for many hours in the sun in one of Hove’s inviting deck chairs, or anywhere else for that matter: I reckon I have only seen Robin in action a handful of times. No, there has been no need for that because throughout Robin’s career, I have been sharing a commentary box with his Dad, Christopher.Regular listeners to Test Match Special will be all too aware of a certain haplessness that dogs CMJ’s attempts at anything technical. This extends, even, to operating teletext which, thankfully, after years of muttering and stamping feet at back of the box, Christopher has finally mastered. He can now pull up the latest Sussex score on Ceefax while commentating at Lord’s at the same time! No mean feat.More…
