John Arlott - First-class Cricket Experience

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 both willing and available young Arlott was co-opted and he travelled with the team to Worcester. In fact Hampshire had had to use three substitute fielders when two of their XI were injured and Cecil Paris, their captain, 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 having played 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."