The Twelfth Man 2020

B ack in August 1975 the former Australian Test batsman Jack Fin- gleton made the pilgrimage to Wombwell. Two stars of the touring Aus- tralian party, namely Greg Chappell and Dennis Lillee, accompanied him. The trio were Society award winners from three years earlier; Chappell and Lillee both received playing awards and Fingleton picked up the Cricket Writer of the Year prize dating back to 1972. What a thrill it must have been for WCLS to receive such special Australian guests in that distant summer! After his playing days ended Jack Fingle- ton became a noted writer and broad- caster in the post-war period. In 1976 he was awarded an OBE for services to cricket and journalism. He died in November 1981, and so his Wombwell visit in 1975 sadly remained the only one. However he is still remembered by the Society through their Cricket Commen- tator of the Year award. Instigated by the founding Secretary Jack Sokell back in 1994, the new award was immediately dedicated in memory of the Australian and, although not always presented, it remains an integral part of the Society’s national cricket awards determined at the AGM every September. David Lloyd was the inaugural recipi- ent of the Fingleton award in 1994 and subsequently Wombwell members voted him their Commentator of the Year on three further occasions (2005, 2011 and 2015). Only Lloyd’s fellow Sky commenta- tor, West Indian Michael Holding, comes anywhere close with a hat-trick. Michael won the award first in 2006, again in 2008 and 2012 (to date). Giants of the commentary box, both radio and TV, were early winners – Henry Blofeld (1995), Richie Benaud (1996) and Jonathan Agnew (1997). Summarisers, employed more for their playing skills and technical knowledge of the game, have also rightly taken the award from time to time; notably Society Patron Sir Geoffrey Boycott back in 2004, current National Selector Ed Smith (2013) and Graeme Swann in 2014. Sir Geoffrey is one of the few that has actually made the journey to WCLS to receive the award in person. Our Patron came to a packed Ardsley Oaks Club in early 2005 and gave members an outstanding night of Q&A. Pleasingly Society members have also occasionally recognised stalwart county commentators and broadcasters and this is becoming more the case with the fantastic on-line county coverage provid- ed by the BBC. Kevin Howells came and picked up his 2010 award. Yorkshire’s greatly missed Dave Callaghan, a loyal supporter of WCLS, was the 2017 winner, but never got to receive his specially engraved glass. A relatively recent new voice on Test Match Special was the 2018 winner and he collect- ed his prize in October 2019. Daniel Norcross gave the gathered Wombwell audience at the Holiday Inn a fine after- noon of repartee (see elsewhere in this magazine) with many amusing anecdotes about his life and time so far in the TMS commentary box. Long may cricket lovers’ continue to en- joy the voices (and indeed faces) of those that provide the words and commentary as the backdrop to the glorious summer game. The first female winner surely cannot be far away? One hopes that WCLS will acknowledge their efforts, male or female, whilst still remembering Jack Fingleton in the process. Jack Fingleton Cricket Commentator of the Year Award 1994 – David Lloyd 1995 – Henry Blofeld 1996 – Richie Benaud 1997 – Jonathan Agnew 2000 – Ralph Dellor 2004 – Geoffrey Boycott 2005 – David Lloyd 2006 – Michael Holding 2008 – Michael Holding 2010 – Kevin Howells 2011 – David Lloyd 2012 – Michael Holding (3) 2013 – Ed Smith 2014 – Graeme Swann 2015 – David Lloyd (4) 2017 – Dave Callaghan 2018 – Daniel Norcross 2019 – Charles Dagnall OUT OF THE BOX Mick Pope looks back at the origins of the Society’s Commen- tator of the Year award and the recipients down the years… Archive The Australians at Wombwell 1975 – Society President Dr Leslie Taylor greets Dennis Lillee and Greg Chappell and Jack Fingleton signs for WCLS members Eric Brook and Harry Henshaw .