Cricket Witness No 3 - The Daffodil Blooms

118 Yorkshire, who were breathing down our necks, to a draw and net result was that nobody could catch us. We were county champions! The scenes at Bournemouth which subsequently unfolded were like a Wales/England rugby match; the singing of Welsh songs by the many hundreds of supporters who had made the long journey to see us; the speeches, the handshakes, and the champagne.” 12 The Glamorgan team was serenaded off the field to the strains of the Welsh National Anthem before Wilf, puffing excitedly on a pipe, gathered the team together on the pavilion balcony and, after further hymns and arias had echoed around the ground, made an impromptu speech during which he thanked everyone for their efforts: “We have a very young side this season but our success was brought about by brilliant fielding and an excellent team spirit. There are better bowling and batting sides in the county Championship, but no superior fielding side.” 13 There were tears of delight running down the cheeks of several senior players, as well as Dai Davies who was only too delighted to join his former colleagues on the balcony of the Dean Park pavilion and, wearing his red tie bearing a Dragon motif, took part in the rendition of the Welsh songs! All of the Glamorgan players then assembled downstairs in the dressing room at the Bournemouth ground to share a few words in private and to thank Wilf for his efforts. He had been chosen to play in the match the next day between the Gentlemen of England and the Australian tourists at Lord’s, so it was Johnnie – the Grand Old Man of Glamorgan cricket – who led the victorious team back to Cardiff General Station. Tom Williams, as a member of the county’s Selection Committee had accompanied the team on the train down to Bournemouth and, as he recalled shortly afterwards, they had a joyous journey back home: “At 5.25p.m. our train steamed out of Bournemouth, where fortune had smiled upon us and cricket history had been made that will live long in ourmemories. Congratulations were received at most stations on the way home. A wait at Southampton gave us time to push out the boat. At Salisbury and other stations, George Lavis very generously invited station-masters, porters and passengers to gaze through the windows and behold the Champions!” 14 Clinching the title