Cricket Witness No 3 - The Daffodil Blooms

113 playing club cricket but, as he showed in the match with the Australians at Swansea, he was still capable of playing at this level. I was certain that he could be our match winner as he had not lost any of his guile or skills.” 4 A gleeful Wilf won the toss and opted to bat first, knowing that the dry Arms Park wicket was likely to be at its best on the first day and helpful for the spinners later in the game. After their frustrations with the weather during the previous fortnight, there were no disappointments this time as everything went according to plan. Arnold Dyson and Emrys Davies put on 91 for the first wicket, before Jim Laker claimed three quick wickets. But Wilf moved himself up the order with the intent of counter-attacking the Surrey spinner. The plan paid off as ‘The Skipper’ put bat to ball in combative manner, with his innings of 89, laced with powerful drives and rasping square cuts manoeuvring Glamorgan to 239. This gave them, with uncertain weather later in the game, around an hour and a quarter’s bowling at the visitors on the first evening. Knowing that crease occupation would be uppermost in the minds of the Surrey batsmen, Wilf set attacking fields in the hope of early wickets. He and Norman Hever made early inroads and, with Surrey on 22-3, Johnnie entered the attack. The veteran induced a remarkable collapse, dismissing Arthur McIntyre, Eric Bedser Wilf Wooller leads the Glamorgan side off the field after their victory over Surrey in 1948. Clinching the title