Martindale's maiden century

By Mike Latham

I’ve always ‘collected’ hundreds, making a note each time I see a batsman reach the magical three-figure mark.

There are lots of famous names on my list, the first entrant Alvin Kallicharran, who scored a century in defeat for his side, Warwickshire in a John Player League game at Chesterfield against Derbyshire in 1971.

There are players who feature prominently- Geoff Boycott (who I saw score ten centuries), Javed Miandad, who I intend to write about shortly, Zaheer Abbas, Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards and there are names that feature just once on my list.

One of these is Duncan Martindale, who I saw score his maiden first-class century, for Nottinghamshire against Lancashire at Old Trafford in August 1985.

At the time I remember thinking that he was on the verge of something special. Calm and composed, with a good range of shots, he batted splendidly that day, but for whatever reason his early promise was not quite realised.

The county season was much more predictable back in 1985 and the Lancs-Notts fixture at Old Trafford followed a familiar pattern, Championship game Saturday, Monday, Tuesday with a John Player League game (40 overs) on the Sunday.

Lancashire batted through the Saturday, reaching 334 for 9 at the close, Varsity man David Varey opening with 87, Neil Fairbrother, easily the county’s leading run-scorer that year, 66. Off memory it was a humdrum day, as Andy Pick, Kevin Cooper and Eddie Hemmings all toiled away in long spells, eventually rewarded with three wickets apiece.

Sunday was rain-affected, the game restricted to 20 overs per side, Notts 115 for 5, Lancashire winning by five wickets with two balls to spare.

Monday dawned overcast but with the promise of better weather ahead as I joined the usual band of enthusiasts on the Hornby Stand. For some reason I elected to take up a far lower position than normal and with my trusty Praktica camera and monopod in operation captured some spectacular action.

Lancashire’s innings was quickly over, last man Patrick Patterson, with no pretensions to bating, bowled by Pick without addition to the overnight total.

Patterson, then aged 24, was a Jamaican bowler who could produce spells of quite frightening pace and hostility. In that season with Lancashire, he was erratic, eventually taking 34 wickets at 31. But he moved into Test cricket with West Indies the following January, making his debut against England on his home ground, taking seven wickets in the game as the tourists were routed by ten wickets.

He went on to play 28 Tests, 59 ODIs and his potential was obvious that August Monday morning. Looking back at my photos, I can remember his menace in an opening spell that really make me sit up and take notice.

In those days, deciding the right moment to take a photo was far harder than in the digital age, but I managed to capture some of the action.

First to go, Derek Randall, bowled by Patterson, Notts 16-1, Allan Jones the umpire.

Chris Broad edged Patterson but the ball fell agonisingly short of John Abrahams at slip.

Notts captain Clive Rice also had his stumps shattered, 27-2.

Paul Johnson, bowled Mike Watkinson, 31-3.

Enter Martindale, who had not been selected for the Sunday game. It was only his fourth first-class match of his debut season and he had scored 90 runs, twice not out, in four innings. Born in Harrogate and then aged 21, it was his breakthrough game.

Centuries in second team cricket against Essex and Yorkshire had earned him the opportunity in the firsts with Tim Robinson away, starring for England with 148 in the fifth Test victory by an innings over Australia at Edgbaston.

Martindale weathered the early storm from Patterson, then calmly set about compiling what I recall was a highly impressive innings. Together with Broad he added 143 for the fourth wicket before the England man was bowled by Patterson for 84.

Though his next partner, Kevin Evans was quickly lbw to the persevering Jack Simmons, Martindale always looked composed.

Kevin Evans lbw Simmons, Jack Birkenshaw the umpire, John Stanworth the wicketkeeper.

In partnership with Bruce French, the wicketkeeper, Martindale reached his landmark century, acknowledged with a wave of the bat and polite applause from the Lancashire fielders and crowd.

Martindale drives Ian Folley through the offside.

Martindale reaches his century, Jack Simmons leading the applause.

Notts captain Rice declared on 253-5, an innings that ate up 92.2 overs, Martindale unbeaten on 104, Patterson 3-43 off 21 overs.

Lancashire finished the second day 5-1, Varey bowled Pick, but the weather closed in and there was no play on the last day and the game was drawn.

Notts finished eighth that year, Lancashire trailing in 14^th.

Martindale went on to play 55 first-class games for Notts, the last in 1991, scoring 1,861 runs at an average of 24.81. He scored three more centuries, 103 against Warwickshire in 1987, 128 against Cambridge and an unbeaten 108 against Northants in 1990.

He played a further 19 List A games, scoring 343 runs at 26, later that year making his Notts one day debut, remarkably, in the Natwest Trophy Final against Essex at Lord’s, left unbeaten on 20 as his side lost a dramatic game by one run.

He later played, briefly, for Herefordshire, scoring a century on debut against Cheshire.

I understand that he is now a teacher and his son, Ben, plays for Caythorpe and the Notts Academy. If you know him, please pass on this article as I don’t recall too many photographers being around that day over 35 years ago.