County Cult Heroes - Glamorgan
Andrew Hignell chooses his cult heroes from Glamorgan
Andrew Hignell
24-Mar-2006
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Don Shepherd
(Glamorgan career 1950-72)
The Australians have their legendary Don and so do the Welsh. Don Shepherd took 2,174 first-class wickets for Glamorgan, mainly with offcutters, yet never won an England cap; never has such a weight of wickets gone unrecognised. It was while deputising as captain for Tony Lewis that Don had perhaps his fi nest hour, with victory over the 1968 Australians. Shep used all his nous in masterminding one of the greatest wins in the club's history - and all watched by a capacity crowd that had thronged into Swansea's seaside ground and caused such a jam that some players had to park almost a mile away and walk. But it was worth it. Welsh folk songs and hymns rang out as Don led his victorious team up the many steps to the old Swansea pavilion, where the victory was toasted long into the night, together with the feats of one of Wales's finest gentlemen - Don Shepherd.
The Australians have their legendary Don and so do the Welsh. Don Shepherd took 2,174 first-class wickets for Glamorgan, mainly with offcutters, yet never won an England cap; never has such a weight of wickets gone unrecognised. It was while deputising as captain for Tony Lewis that Don had perhaps his fi nest hour, with victory over the 1968 Australians. Shep used all his nous in masterminding one of the greatest wins in the club's history - and all watched by a capacity crowd that had thronged into Swansea's seaside ground and caused such a jam that some players had to park almost a mile away and walk. But it was worth it. Welsh folk songs and hymns rang out as Don led his victorious team up the many steps to the old Swansea pavilion, where the victory was toasted long into the night, together with the feats of one of Wales's finest gentlemen - Don Shepherd.
Roland Lefebvre (1993-95)
"Roly is a Welshman, Roly is a Welshman, La la lah, La la lah" - that chant echoed round Glamorgan's grounds in 1993, as the team won the Sunday League title, and bore testament to how the Welsh public had taken the Dutch allrounder to their heart. Time and again Lefebvre would produce a miserly opening spell and, together with the offcutter Steve Barwick, another unsung hero, his accuracy would put batsmen under pressure. Then, as the opposition tried to hit their way out of trouble, Roly would more often than not hold on to a running catch in the deep - usually diving and rolling on the turf before rising with ball held high to tumultuous applause from his many fans. Sadly a severe groin injury ended his Glamorgan career prematurely but in the space of three fi ne summers the affable Dutchman had become an adopted son - and a most popular one.
Alan Jones
(1957-83)
Whenever Glamorgan were playing
at home before the school holidays,
countless excuses would be made
so that youngsters could get to the
ground in time to see Alan Jones bat.
In 1968 he was enjoying the purplest of
patches when the Australians arrived
at Swansea, and the ground was packed
with schoolboys young and old. As Alan
reached 99 the clamour hit a fevered
pitch and he charged to play a lofted
drive against Ashley Mallett. There was
a brief lull as the ranks of spectators
realised their hero had been caught at
deep mid-on before a deafening ovation,
in recognition of a man described by
John Arlott as "modest, kind, cheerful
[and] personable". The England selectors
continued to look elsewhere (Jones's
36,049 fi rst-class runs and no Test caps
provided an unwanted world record)
but his adoring fans throughout the
Principality remained loyal.
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Haydn Davies
(1935-58)
Usually arriving to loud applause, `The
Panda', as he was affectionately known
because of his squat physique and
shambling walk to the wicket, would
regularly treat his fans to a display of
bold and uninhibited strokeplay from
the lower order. His stay was often brief
but to the delight of his supporters he
struck a career-best 80 in his benefi t
match at the Arms Park against the
1951 South Africans. For a while, as his
side followed on, it looked as though
his display of fearlessness would bring
a maiden fi rst-class hundred. Instead
it became one of 11 fi fties in county
colours, to go with 581 catches and
203 stumpings - often executed with
a vociferous roar and followed by a
mighty cheer from delighted spectators.
Johnie Clay
(1921-49)
How many cricketers would say "No
thanks" if invited to play for England,
especially if it was for a Test against
Australia? But that is what Johnnie
Clay - the great Glamorgan offspinner
- did in 1938, telling the selectors he
was carrying a slight leg injury and, to
be on the safe side, they ought to pick
a younger and fi tter man. It followed a
remarkable summer in 1937 when his
powers of fl ight and spin resulted in a
club-record 176 victims. But international
success did not really interest Clay - his
heart lay with Glamorgan, for whom he
had spent many a long hour as treasurer.
With his friend Maurice Turnbull he
brought respectability to the club in the
1930s, converting a rising defi cit into a
healthy profit. His high, classical action
was copied by many youngsters. Sadly
the Second World War intevened and
Turnbull died in Normandy in 1944.
Four years later, and by now a greyhaired
veteran, Clay took the wicket that
clinched Glamorgan's first Championship.
Andrew Hignell is Glamorgan's honorary historian and statistician