Cricket Witness No 3 - The Daffodil Blooms

105 Those who like to sit under the pavilion and away from the glare of the sun found the seats reserved for committeemen. Believe me, there is very strong feeling about all this.” 9 A much happier man was Glamorgan’s Treasurer, who had spent much of the three match-days ensconced in the bowels of the pavilion gleefully counting the money. Despite the deluge, net receipts from the match amounted to £5,000 – a very welcome financial boost even after half went to the Aussies who, by the time the money had all been counted, were well on the way to Birmingham for their next match. Glamorgan’s thoughts turned to Ebbw Vale where the following morning they returned to Championship action against Gloucestershire. It did not attract the hordes of St Helen’s but there was still a good crowd, with around 5,000 present at the Welfare Ground to watch the opening day’s play. However, it would have been more fitting to say ‘peer’ through the mist in search of it as the weather had not improved, with the Ebbw Vale ground, over 1,000 feet above sea level, enveloped in mountain mist. As the South Wales Evening Post reported: “It was literally cricket in a cloud. When play began at 12.30p.m., a heavy mist hung over the ground, presenting an eerie picture and causing the players to look like ghosts.” 10 A postcard view of the Ebbw Vale ground, with the spoil tips in the background behind the pavilion. The summer of 1948