MJ Shines -- Vipers Chat

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Date Posted: 13:49:51 06/05/01 Tue
Author: Extract from Sunday Times (3/6/01)
Subject: MJ Shines

THERE was a time, on Friday afternoon, when the few hardy souls at the Rose Bowl shuffled forward on their bucket seats and braced themselves for a moment of rare excitement. Robin Martin-Jenkins had taken his third wicket in the space of 15 balls, Hampshire were still 38 runs away from avoiding the follow-on with two wickets remaining, and Shaun Udal was readying himself to face the hat-trick ball.

In came the bowler, back came the ball from a comfortable defensive stroke from the batsman, and normal service was resumed with a ninth-wicket partnership between Udal and Alex Morris ...

Martin-Jenkins, 25, is a unique breed in county cricket. It is not uncommon for sons of famous cricketers to struggle in their father's shadow. Martin-Jenkins, son of Christopher, the chief cricket correspondent of The Times and BBC Test Match Special commentator, bears a name that is as recognisable today as that of Ben Hutton or Nick Compton.

Only now, in his sixth season with Sussex, is he starting to find consistency. A championship average of 55 with the bat - boosted, admittedly, by two not outs - and 12 wickets at 27, are reward for consistency. In this match, he ended Sussex's innings with a responsible 56 not out and had by some margin the best figures with the ball, four for 77.

Why the consistency? "It's difficult to pinpoint why," he said. "I had a winter in Cape Town playing club cricket. I didn't score a huge amount of runs there, but somehow batting throughout the year seems to help your mental game.

"I've also been working on recognising what are my strengths and cutting out my weaknesses, trying to get the bowlers to bowl in my area, not following the wide ball. I guess it comes down to maturity."

Facially, RMJ owes much to his father and he has shown more than a passing interest in journalism, writing a column for the Brighton Argus. One early entry had him in hot water when he claimed that a group of monkeys could do a better job at running cricket than the ECB. What was dad's reaction? "He said it probably wasn't the wisest thing to do."

Still, it got people talking. And if he ends the season as he has begun it, people will be talking about CMJ's boy for very different reasons.

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