Denis Compton taught her how to score a cricket match

Dr Jane Orr’s father introduced her to cricket. Bill Bowes introduced her to the press box at Lord’s. And Denis Compton introduced her to the methods of scoring a cricket match. Arunabha Sengupta sketches the story of the General Practitioner’s association with cricket.

Cricket and the medical practitioner go back a long, long way. The stethoscope has been exchanged for the willow ever since time immemorial, the partnership indelibly stamped on the history of the game with the gigantic footsteps of WG Grace.

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There were others too, of varied cricketing skills and bedside manners. Down the years, doctor’s practice and net practice have often managed to coexist.

Monty Noble divided his time between dentistry and captaining Australia. John Barrett became the first man to carry his bat in Test cricket, while establishing himself as a leading Australian Rules Footballer, and also a successful medical man. READ: Nick Compton’s heroics evoke memories of Denis Compton

In the early years of the 20th century, Dr Herbert ‘Ranji’ Hordern extracted teeth with the same élan as he bowled his googlies; and towards the end of the millennium, the optometrist Geoff Lawson bowled lively out-swingers for Australia.

In between Dr Ali Bacher led South Africa to a 4-0 win over Australia before becoming one of the most influential figures behind the Rainbow Nation’s readmission into the international fold.

In terms of deeds on the field, Camberley General Practitioner Dr Jane Orr’s association with the noble game is perhaps not in the same league. However, her story lacks nothing in charm, nostalgia and romance of cricket.

The 65-year-old Dr Orr is a long time Middlesex supporter, and can be often spotted in the Premier Members Box at Lord’s during the home games. Besides, she has a fascinating portfolio as a cricket scorer.

“My father used to take me to Lord’s for the cricket matches, mostly on Saturdays,” she explains, standing in the clubhouse of the Radlett Cricket Club. The Middlesex squad has been helping out in the ground where their Second XI turns out so often. Since the morning, they have been planting trees, setting up fences, installing gateways. READ: Trivia: When Compton batted with Dexter

“He had been in the same Prisoner of War camp as Bill Bowes,” Orr continues. This confuses the young left-handed batsman Nick Gubbins. The good doctor pauses to explain. “Bill Bowes was a fast bowler who played for England. He was one of the bowlers in the Bodyline series. In 1932-33.”

“Oh, then he must have played alongside Gus,” Gubbins quips. His twinkling eyes target former England bowler Angus Fraser, currently Managing Director of Middlesex.

When the laughter dies down, Orr continues her tale: “I was around nine-years-old then. Whenever I felt cold in the stadium, my father took me to the press box. It was in the Warner Stand during those days. Bill Bowes would be there, writing for Yorkshire Post. My father used to leave me in the press box with him.” READ: Umpire cannot hold bladder; gives Denis Compton LBW on debut

That is how it started.

“After a few days I was told that since I was in the press box, it would be good if I made myself useful. So Denis Compton took me under his wing and taught me how to score. I really liked it.”

Quite soon, she was an expert at it.

“After a while, journalists used to walk to me and ask questions like, ‘How many overs has Trueman bowled?’ I was just about twelve or thirteen then, but I had become quite important.”

As she grew up, however, she ceased to be the unofficial press box scorer.

“My school got in the way. Besides, those days they did not play on Sundays. Later, I became an army doctor, and scored a few Army cricket matches. However, at that time the army was not very keen on women who were starting a family.” READ: Magic Moments of Indian tours to England Part 3 of 16 – Denis Compton pulls a weapon out of his Arsenal to run out Vijay Merchant

After becoming a GP she scored the occasional cricket match.

“It was just to keep up my scoring practice. Nowadays I score only one match a year, a game played in Dorset, in one of the most beautiful cricket grounds of the country,”

Dr Orr points towards the quaint Radlett Cricket Club ground. “It looks like this, except that you have to look at the trees in the background and replace them with sand and sea.”

One can almost picture the idyllic setting: a charming game of cricket with the sun sparkling on the sea in the background; and the good doctor’s practiced hand accurately jotting down the outcome of every delivery on the score-sheet.

(Arunabha Sengupta is a cricket historian and Chief Cricket Writer at CricketCountry. He writes about the history of cricket, with occasional statistical pieces and reflections on the modern game. He is also the author of four novels, the most recent being Sherlock Holmes and the Birth of The Ashes. He tweets here.)