Cricket Witness No 3 - The Daffodil Blooms

20 Chapter Two A new dawn? As circumstances turned out, Tom Whittington had been rather hasty in his decision to leave Glamorgan at the end of the 1923 season. Rather than calling it quits, the committee opted to give it a further go, besides implementing some fund-raising activities amongst members, although one of these schemes subsequently backfired with Arthur Gibson, the Glamorgan Secretary, appearing in court in Cardiff after a members’ sweepstake was deemed an illegal lottery. To add to the Club’s woes they were issued with a fine – the last thing they wanted at a time when every penny was treasured. But things did improve and, as the summer of 1924 unfolded, there were grounds for optimism, especially with the emergence of some young Welsh-born cricketers. A pool of talented colts was identified by Fred Bowley, the Brecon-born batsman who had enjoyed a distinguished career with Worcestershire before agreeing terms to act as a coach for the Welsh county. On his recommendation, several young faces were introduced into the team during the course of the 1924 season, including schoolboys Cyril Walters and Maurice Turnbull, with the latter, after a record- breaking season at Downside School, going on to play a major role in the dramatic defeat of Lancashire during his county debut in mid-August at Swansea. Maurice had been drafted into the side when the selection committee opted to rest Dai Davies, who had passed fifty just once in almost forty innings. It really was a baptism of fire as Lancashire possessed the finest attack in the county, as described by John Arlott: “Lancashire in those days fielded an attack of Test bowlers – Macdonald, fast as any of his day; Cecil Parkin, who was a sheer magician with a cricket ball; Dick Tyldesley, that ample and accurate leg-breaker, and then there was Frank Watson, medium-pace, neat and accurate. The Lancashire fielding to back them was keen and safe, and altogether the team was one of the strongest in England.” 1