Leslie Thomas John Arlott, OBE (25 February 1914 – 14 December 1991) was an English journalist, author and cricket commentator for the BBC's Test Match Special.

[5] After leaving school, following a brief stint at the local town hall where he learned to type, he spent four years working at Park Prewett Mental Hospital in Basingstoke as a records clerk (1930–34).

[1] He progressed to the rank of sergeant while stationed at Southampton,[7] and enjoyed the opportunity to watch Hampshire play at the County Ground while on duty at Northland Road.

The following day, the match report in the Western Daily Press named one of the substitutes as "Harlott", a local policeman and a Hampshire member.

It was quite a memorable day in the field, with the Nawab of Pataudi scoring an elegant undefeated century for Worcester in one of his very rare appearances on the county circuit.

"[8] After being invited to make a public radio address to George VI on VE Day, 1945, he attracted the attention of the BBC,[5] and of John Betjeman, who became a mentor for Arlott's poetic ambitions.

The TMS commentators that day were Arlott, Rex Alston and E. W. Swanton, with summaries provided by Ken Ablack, from the West Indies, together with Norman Yardley and Freddie Brown.

He also briefly wrote, directed and narrated a topical local series for the BBC called ABC of the South in the 1960s but radio was his true metier.

"[5] One comment often noted was made in 1975, to describe a shot by Clive Lloyd as "the stroke of a man knocking a thistle top off with a walking stick.

At the end of his last session on the final day (2 September), he concluded with his customary phrasing "nine runs off the over – 28 Boycott, 15 Gower, 69 for 2 – and after Trevor Bailey it will be Christopher Martin-Jenkins."

[13][14] Arlott was a stylish writer, contributing regularly as a journalist and also writing the occasional hymn, of which the best-known is "God Whose Farm is All Creation", sung at harvest festival.

[20] In 1948, he travelled to South Africa to cover the England cricket team's tour for the BBC, and openly voiced his distaste for the country's apartheid policy.

D'Oliveira acquired British nationality the following year and was selected to play for England, making his Test debut against the West Indies at Lord's in June 1966.

During the 1968 Ashes series, D'Oliveira scored 158 on his recall to the England side in the 5th Test Match at The Oval, which seemed to make his selection for the winter tour to South Africa a certainty.

Arlott was incensed and condemned the selectors' decision in his press articles and publicly stated that he would not commentate on any matches involving the South African team during their scheduled tour of England in 1970.

However, Arlott was subjected to some strong, not entirely unexpected, criticism from the English cricket establishment over his stance particularly by the former England captain Peter May, a Test selector, who wrote directly to him condemning the position that he had adopted.

Following the cancellation of the 1968 England tour by the South African government, the Cambridge Union decided to hold a debate on the motion "That politics should not intrude on sporting contacts".

Former England captain Ted Dexter was invited to propose the motion, seconded by veteran all-round sportsman Wilf Wooller who had skippered Glamorgan to their first county championship in 1948.

"[23]On New Year's Day 1992, Botham and his wife instigated a family tradition of breaking open a bottle of Beaujolais at Arlott's grave and toasting his memory.

His moderation and tact helped in some tight corners, notably at the time of the Packer Affair, when he strove to keep the Cricketers' Association neutral.

"[5]Arlott had developed a close friendship with Sir Jack Hobbs, who ran a sports shop in Fleet Street after his retirement from cricket.

The inaugural lunch was held in 1953 at a restaurant in Fleet Street and was attended by John Marshall (London Evening News), Kenneth Adam (BBC) and Alf Gover (Surrey).

The team in probable batting order was: Jack Hobbs, Mike Brearley, Vivian Richards, Learie Constantine, Ted Dexter, Ian Botham, Keith Miller, Wilfred Rhodes, George Brown (WK), Jim Laker and Wes Hall.

In due course he became a connoisseur of wine, and was often accompanied by some good claret to help lubricate his voice through a day of cricket commentating[citation needed].

[26] In May 1953 he selected: "Lord Lovel" by Robert Irwin; "Land of My Fathers" by Crowd at Wales V Ireland Rugby Match, 12 March 1949; "These Foolish Things" by Greta Keller; "The foggy, foggy dew" by Benjamin Britten; "Bella figlia dell'amore" (from Rigoletto) by Giuseppe Verdi; "Little Sir William" by Benjamin Britten; "In Dulci Jubilo" by Choir of King's College, Cambridge; Symphony No.

"[29] Four days after the Centenary Test at Lord's ended in a draw, Arlott made his very last commentary, covering the Gillette Cup Final between Surrey and Middlesex for BBC Radio 3.

Engraved on his headstone were two lines from one of his own poems (originally dedicated to Andrew Young): "So clear you see those timeless things, That, like a bird, the vision sings".

This was followed by an inaugural local village cricket competition, with participating teams from Tichborne, Old Alresford, Ropley and Cheriton, for the annual John Arlott Cup.

I wonder if you see the ball very clearly in your last Test in England, on a ground where you've played some of the biggest cricket in your life and where the opposing side has just stood round you and given you three cheers, and the crowd has clapped you all the way to the wicket.

Paul Coupar writing about the history of TMS on its 50th anniversary 2007 Arlott: The Authorised Biography, by David Rayvern Allen, published in 1993, won The Cricket Society Jubilee Literary Award.