Frank Keating wrote of his "articulate, leisurely, confiding countryman's burr". Keating also compared his stature as a radio journalist with those of Richard Dimbleby and Alistair Cooke. Arlott's final Test commentary was on the Centenary Test between England and Australia at Lord's in 1980. 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." At the end of the following over, a public address announcement that Arlott had completed his final commentary session prompted the crowd to give Arlott an ovation. The entire Australian team in the field and the two England batsmen joined in, with Geoffrey Boycott removing his batting gloves to applaud. Later that day, after the match ended in a draw, he came onto the Lord's balcony to present the Man of the Match award. When he appeared, the crowd below again burst into a spontaneous ovation that lasted for several minutes before he was finally able to speak and make the presentation to Kim Hughes. Four days later, Arlott returned to Lord's for his last commentary, covering the 1980 Gillette Cup final. Arlott was married three times: his first wife was Dawn Rees (married 18 May 1940 – divorced 1958) with whom he had two sons, James Andrew (1944–1965) and Timothy Mark (born 1950). His second wife was Valerie France (married July 1960 – died 1976) with whom he had a third son Robert, (born 1963), after a daughter named Lynne had died at birth the previous year. His third wife was Patricia Hoare (6 April 1977 – 1991) who survived him. Arlott's eldest son Jim was killed in a car accident on New Year's Eve 1965, driving home late at night from Southampton in a sports car which Arlott had helped him to buy. This tragedy resulted in Arlott always wearing a black tie in remembrance of his dead son and in penance for his own role in the tragedy. 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. As his interest in wine developed he wrote two books on that subject; he also wrote poetry, considering his best poem to be the one dedicated to Sir Jack Hobbs on the latter's 70th birthday.