J.D.B. Robertson

22 February 1917 – 12 October 1996

England and Middlesex

Right hand bat

A classy, stylish and consistent opening bat, Jack Robertson was a heavy run scorer throughout his career, although often unfairly outshone by others in his Middlesex and England careers. 

Selected to play for Middlesex second eleven at the age of 15, he made his first-class debut in 1937 where he was stumped for a duck at Oxford. He received his Middlesex cap in 1939 at the age of 22 and then like many of his generation his career had to be put on pause during World War Two where he was among the many thousands evacuated from Dunkirk. Despite his years of service, he was able to make a name for himself scoring a century for the Army against Navy in 1942, and hitting Bob Wyatt for six immediately after a flying bomb just missed Lord’s during a services match in 1944. 

Robertson immediately found form upon resumption of county cricket following the war, scoring over 1,000 runs in 1946, a feat her repeated every season up until 1958. Whilst the summer of 1947 is known for the runscoring of Denis Compton and Bill Edrich, Robertson made a substantial contribution to Middlesex’s success that season, also scoring over 2,000 runs at an average of 65.12 with 11 centuries. His form that season saw him called up for his England debut against South Africa the Oval, but he only managed 34 across the two innings. Nevertheless, his efforts that year saw him named one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year for 1948. 

He was selected for the 1947-48 MCC tour of the West Indies. Playing in four Tests he topped the England averages with 390 runs at 55.71. In the second Test in Trinidad, he scored his maiden Test century with an innings of 133 runs. 

His outstanding form continued in 1948 where he once again scored over 2,000 runs, this time amassing a total of 2366 runs at an average 50.34. In 1949 against Worcestershire at New Road he scored 331 in an innings, which remains the highest first-class score by a Middlesex batter. He continued to find opportunities to play for England limited with the preference for Cyril Washbrook to partner Len Hutton over himself. In 1949 he was selected for only one Test against New Zealand, scoring 121 in the second innings and then found himself dropped when Washbrook returned from an injury.

He was selected for the 1951-52 MCC tour of India, appearing in all five Tests but only managing a half century in the last Test in Madras, which turned out to be his last ever Test appearance. He finished his Test career with an average of 46.37, amassing 881 runs, which perhaps did not fully reflect his potential on the international stage.

In 1959 following a sharp drop-off in from he promptly retired, ending his first-class career with 31,914 runs at an average of 37.50. Upon retirement he went straight into coaching Middlesex, which he continued to do until 1968.