Famous Cricketers No 49 - Don Shepherd

DON SHEPHERD There is a Glamorgan riddle which goes “Who scored the most runs in county cricket and never played in a Test for England?” and is followed up by “Who took the most wickets in county cricket and never played in a Test for England?” The answers - which may or may not be statistically correct - are Alan Jones and Don Shepherd. The riddle is less of a quiz question than a howl of pent-up nationalism; a dig at selectors seen, rightly or wrongly, to be biased against the Welsh county. Other counties can have a beef about the ignoring of their top players: only Glamorgan are in a position to put it down to racial prejudice, and people on the English side of the border can never realise just how deep-rooted it is. Certainly the figures make the ignoring of Shepherd for representative honours almost inexplicable. In 22 years he took 2218 wickets at an average of 21.32, often being the only threatening bowler in a weak attack. In two respects he was unlucky. His main rivals - Fred Titmus, Ray Illingworth, David Allen and John Mortimore, were all good enough batsmen to score a half century to prop up the lower England order, while Shepherd was just a tail-end slogger. More importantly he was not a bowler who could be easily classified – not just an off-spinner, but one who bowled at medium pace and did not fit into the ‘balanced attack’ for which the selectors were looking. Donald John Shepherd was born on August 12 1927 in the village of Port Eynon on the coast of the Gower Peninsula, an area still more rural and secluded than its proximity to Swansea would lead you to expect. The village shop at Parkmill had been run by the family for many years. The seclusion, followed by World War Two, meant that young Shepherd had never seen a county match until he played in one. In 1947 he was serving with the Fleet Air Arm and his performances in services matches brought him to the attention of the Worcestershire committee. After a game with the Gentlemen of Worcestershire he was offered terms. Due to his Welsh birthplace they had to contact Glamorgan, and, with few reserves, the Welsh county snapped him up. He was sent to the Lord’s groundstaff in 1948 to ‘learn his trade’. Shepherd had also shown promise as a footballer and had trials with Swansea City, Cardiff City and Leeds United, but at the end of his year with the M.C.C. he saw his future in cricket and accepted a summer contract for 1949, and a full-time one a year later. He had made his county debut in a Second XI match at the end of 1948, the year Glamorgan shocked everyone with their unexpected County Championship win. He played in a Minor Counties fixture against Devon at Exeter on September 1, 2. He scored 19 batting at number 10, took a catch, and returned figures of 29-12-61-0. He was considerably faster than anyone else associated with post-World War Two Welsh cricket and broke a finger in wicket-keeper Jack Rippon’s hand. The 1949 season saw him playing Second XI cricket and club cricket for Swansea, An early victim was Derek Richardson in a match against Worcestershire Seconds. On August 3rd, he made his first team debut in Glamorgan’s two-day friendly against the Royal Air Force at the Maindy Barracks ground in Cardiff. He scored 26 not out and 0 not out, with bowling figures of 11-3-21-1 and 3-1-2-1, dismissing J.F.Roberts in both innings. He opened the bowling with Wilf Wooller, who offered him a full time contract. He went straight into the first team and never looked back. The bowling style changed and by the mid 1950s he was experimenting with the off spin which made his name. 3