Cricket Witness No 3 - The Daffodil Blooms

123 ended in eighth place. Even so, as Jim Pleass remembered, there were still many plusses from the 1949 season: “We had a greater interest from the press throughout the season, and even when we started our practices and outdoor games at the Arms Park, there were many journalists watching and photographers taking snaps. We also saw many of the writers from the national papers, who were seemingly trying to somewhat belatedly find out the magic of our success. As the results started to go against us, and opposing captains gave us far more challenging declarations, some of these writers seemed quite eager to knock Wilf, but that I suppose is the way of journalists – they build you up one minute and then knock you down the next!” 3 For Jim and the other members of the team, one of the most comforting sights during 1949 was the veritable horde of small boys at the home games, pressing grubby pieces of paper into the players’ hands as they sought the autographs of their cricketing heroes. As Hal Jarrett also wrote in his Editorial in The South Wales Cricketers Magazine : “Cricket is thriving in South Wales. New leagues are being formed and many new clubs are starting – an ever-growing population of cricketers is here to spur on our Champion county to play and to organise, and to make even more solid the foundations of our great game.” 5 In parks, commons and playing fields across South Wales, boys were now pretending to be Allan Watkins or Gilbert Parkhouse rather than Don Bradman or Wally Hammond. Under the gas lamps where games of street cricket were enjoyed and make- believe Tests had previously seen England meet Australia, it was now a case of Wales against the World as the young fantasists with bat and ball in hand attempted to emulate what the Glamorgan administrators themselves had tried to do in September 1948. Although the team did not repeat their title-winning success and retain the title in 1949, there was plenty in the months and years after the joyous scenes at Bournemouth – and, quite literally, all stations back to Cardiff – for the Welsh county’s supporters to smile about with new heroes and fresh achievements to toast. On February 14 th , 1949 Allan Watkins became the first Glamorgan player to score a century in Test cricket for England as he struck 111 during the Fourth Test against South Africa at Ellis Park, Johannesburg. Later that summer Willie Jones was also chosen to Epilogue – The legacy of 1948