Christopher Martin-Jenkins

Christopher Martin-Jenkins
Christopher Martin-Jenkins
Born	Christopher Dennis Alexander Martin-Jenkins; 20 January 1945 (age 81); Peterborough, England
Died	1 January 2013 (aged 67); Horsham, England
Occupation(s)	Cricket journalist, broadcaster, author
Years active	1967–2012
Known for	Longest-serving commentator on BBC Radio's Test Match Special; President of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC)

Christopher Dennis Alexander Martin-Jenkins, MBE (20 January 1945 – 1 January 2013), commonly referred to as CMJ, was a distinguished British cricket journalist and served as President of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). He held the record as the longest-serving commentator on BBC Radio's Test Match Special (TMS), a role he maintained from 1973 until his diagnosis with terminal cancer in March 2012.

Early life

Martin-Jenkins was born in Peterborough as the middle child among three brothers. His father, who had been an army lieutenant colonel, later took on the role of chairman at the shipping company Ellerman Lines. During World War II, his mother practiced medicine as both a radiologist and a general practitioner.

School

He received his early education at St Bede's Preparatory School in Eastbourne before progressing to Marlborough College. It was here that he first played cricket under the guidance of Mike Griffith, who would later captain Sussex and chair the MCC. As captain of the school cricket team, Martin-Jenkins sought advice from Brian Johnston on pursuing a career in cricket commentary. Johnston invited him to visit Broadcasting House and recommended honing his commentary skills by using a tape recorder. That same year, Martin-Jenkins narrowly missed a century by scoring 99 in Marlborough’s annual match against Rugby School at Lord's, though his team was defeated by 22 runs.

University

He matriculated at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, where he studied Modern History and graduated with an upper second-class degree in 1967. While at Cambridge, he earned two half-blues for playing Rugby fives, captained both the Crusaders (the university’s second XI) and his college cricket team, and came close to securing a full cricket blue, being named as 12th man for the 1967 Varsity match at Lord's. Additionally, he progressed to the final auditions for the Cambridge University Footlights, judged by notable figures including Germaine Greer, Eric Idle, and Clive James.

Cricketer

In 1971, Martin-Jenkins appeared in a single Second XI Championship game representing Surrey against Warwickshire at the Oval. Later in his playing career, between 1992 and 2002, he participated in ten one-day matches for the Sir Paul Getty XI at Wormsley, concluding this phase with a final appearance in 2006 at age 61 against the Heartaches team managed by Tim Rice.

Media career

Following his graduation in 1967, Martin-Jenkins commenced work at The Cricketer magazine as deputy editor under the leadership of E. W. Swanton. He transitioned to BBC Radio Sports News in March 1970 and provided commentary for his inaugural match—a one-day international between England and Australia—in 1972. His last commentary assignment for TMS took place during England’s third Test against Pakistan in Dubai in February 2012.

Starting with TMS in 1973, he succeeded Brian Johnston as the BBC’s cricket correspondent from 1973 to 1980 and again from 1985 to 1991. Subsequently, he contributed to The Daily Telegraph between 1990 and 1999 before joining The Times, where he worked from 1999 until 2008. Mike Atherton succeeded him as Chief Cricket Correspondent at The Times in May 2008; however, Martin-Jenkins continued writing until his final article on Tony Greig’s passing was published on 31 December—the day prior to his own death. Additionally, he provided television cricket commentary for the BBC from 1981 through 1985 before returning exclusively to radio.

His radio commentary was widely acclaimed for its accuracy, clarity, and insightful depiction of each delivery and shot. Scyld Berry highlighted Martin-Jenkins’s distinctive combination of deep expertise paired with an enthusiastic approach reminiscent of a keen student.

Renowned for his diplomatic manner, Martin-Jenkins seldom engaged in controversy. Nonetheless, during England’s 1989–90 tour of the West Indies, he openly criticized umpire Lloyd Barker, which led Barker to threaten legal action over alleged defamation; this matter was eventually resolved privately by the BBC.

Among peers, he was remembered for a charming absentmindedness—such as mistakenly arriving at Lord’s for a match actually scheduled at the Oval—and occasional difficulties with technology, including confusing a television remote control for his phone and inadvertently deleting emails instead of sending them.

Author

Martin-Jenkins penned The Complete Who's Who of Test Cricketers and contributed to a total of 25 publications, including prominent works such as The Wisden Book of County Cricket (1981), Twenty Years On: Cricket's years of change (1984), and Ball by Ball: The Story of Cricket Broadcasting (1990). His literary journey concluded with his autobiography, titled CMJ – A Cricketing Life. Additionally, he held the position of editor for The Cricketer starting in 1980 and led the Cricket Society as its President from 1998 until 2008.

Awards and honours

In recognition of his contributions, Martin-Jenkins was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2009. He served as MCC President during 2010–11, a distinction seldom awarded to journalists. His presidency was marked by the abandonment of a £400 million redevelopment plan for Lord’s due to economic difficulties, a decision that sparked ongoing debate among club members regarding subsequent proposals.

He was the sole professional journalist and broadcaster to present the annual MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture in 2007. While MCC President in 2011, he extended an invitation to Kumar Sangakkara, making him the only active player to deliver a Cowdrey Lecture.

Personal life

In April 1971, Martin-Jenkins married Judy Hayman. The couple had three children: two sons, James and Robin, and a daughter named Lucy. Robin played county cricket for Sussex until his retirement in 2010, while James participated in club cricket for Radley Rangers from 1993 through 2006.

Death

Following significant health struggles during 2009–10, Martin-Jenkins received a terminal cancer diagnosis in March 2012 after completing commentary assignments in the UAE. Due to his illness, he withdrew from Test Match Special and passed away from lymphoma at his residence in Horsham on 1 January 2013 at age 67.

His family remarked: "Christopher passed away peacefully at home after courageously battling cancer. We take pride in his efforts to share his passion for cricket worldwide through his exceptional communication talents. Above all, he was a dearly loved husband, brother, father, and grandfather."

A memorial service held at St. Paul's Cathedral on 16 April 2013 attracted approximately 2,000 attendees, including six former England captains. The ceremony featured readings by his sons and tributes delivered by Sir Tim Rice and Jonathan Agnew, followed by a reception at Lord's.

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