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| CMJ has also been known as "Jenkers" (see ''Test Match Special'', Peter Baxter (ed, 1981); see also ]). There are suggestions in ''The Alderman's Tale'' (1991), the memoir of fellow commentator, Don Mosey (1924-99), that CMJ's presence in the commentary box was an occasional source of friction to some of his colleagues (though equally Mosey seems to have had a chip on his shoulder regarding the operation of what he saw as an ] within the BBC). | CMJ has also been known as "Jenkers" (see ''Test Match Special'', Peter Baxter (ed, 1981); see also ]). There are suggestions in ''The Alderman's Tale'' (1991), the memoir of fellow commentator, Don Mosey (1924-99), that CMJ's presence in the commentary box was an occasional source of friction to some of his colleagues (though equally Mosey seems to have had a chip on his shoulder regarding the operation of what he saw as an ] within the BBC). | ||
| As a commentator, he is technically weak. He continually misidentifies players and their strokes. His agenda is to extoll the virtues of the public schools, Oxbridge, the aristocracy and the Anglican Church. He sneers at one day cricket, what he likes to describe as the “antics” of ethnic minority supporters and anything which impinges on his vision of cricket as a game which should be reserved for those of his own ilk. He is representative of an attitude which thankfully is dying out. His fellow commentator Henry Bloefeld is a perfect example of a man who recognises that the game is too good to be ruined by snobbery and adapts to the times. Martin Jenkins has no such awareness, and it is to be hoped that soon he will be retired to the old buffer’s bar where he can spout his reactionary views to his heart’s content. | |||
| Martin-Jenkins' son, ], plays county cricket for ]. | Martin-Jenkins' son, ], plays county cricket for ]. | ||
Revision as of 20:13, 28 October 2006
Christopher Dennis Alexander Martin-Jenkins, known as CMJ (born 20 January 1945), is a cricket journalist and commentator for Test Match Special (TMS) on BBC Radio 4.
Martin-Jenkins was a student at Marlborough, and then Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. He joined the TMS team in 1973, aged 28. While captain of cricket at his school, Marlborough, 11 years earlier, Martin-Jenkins wrote to Brian Johnston asking him how to become a cricket commentator.
At various times, CMJ has been cricket correspondent for the BBC (1973-1980, 1985-1991), the Daily Telegraph (1990-1998) and The Times (1998-). He was also a commentator on BBC television for their cricket coverage between 1981 and 1985, before returning to radio. His journalistic talents were encouraged by EW Swanton, joining the Cricketer magazine as his assistant editor. From there he joined the BBC Sports News department and was appointed cricket correspondent in succession to Brian Johnston in 1973. He was also editor of The Cricketer from 1980. As a player, he made 99 for Marlborough against Rugby School at Lord's and was later in the Surrey second XI.
CMJ has also been known as "Jenkers" (see Test Match Special, Peter Baxter (ed, 1981); see also Oxford '-er'). There are suggestions in The Alderman's Tale (1991), the memoir of fellow commentator, Don Mosey (1924-99), that CMJ's presence in the commentary box was an occasional source of friction to some of his colleagues (though equally Mosey seems to have had a chip on his shoulder regarding the operation of what he saw as an old boy network within the BBC).
Martin-Jenkins' son, Robin Martin-Jenkins, plays county cricket for Sussex.