Cricket Witness No 3 - The Daffodil Blooms

37 The tricky question of the captaincy morning, before adding a further five wickets to earn a series of huge ovations from the enormous crowd whose disappointment at seeing Bradman depart early had been offset by the delight of seeing the Glamorgan bowlers do so well against the tourists . The match with the 1930 Australians at Swansea proved to be a massive bonus for the Club’s annual accounts, but without something similar during 1931, the Club was forced into some drastic money-saving measures. These included the release of a batch of professionals, including – much to Maurice’s personal regret – Frank, but there was simply not enough cash to pay him or the others. Despite the reduction in playing staff, the financial situation did not improve during 1932 and, by mid-season, the Club was in a perilous state. With the debt now in excess of £5,000, the Bank Manager advised Tyler that further advances or loans were unlikely. The Club’s Chairman duly wrote an open letter to the Press and the public at large outlining Glamorgan’s plight: “At the present moment, the Club’s indebtedness is just over £4,000. In addition, it is estimated that £1,500 is required to enable it to carry on until the beginning of the 1933 season. If this response is not forthcoming, the committee will have no option but to declare that it is impossible to maintain first-class cricket in Wales. We should welcome assistance in any form. It is essential that this should be given immediately.” 5 At the same time, a special appeal called the “The Save Glamorgan Cricket Campaign” was created to secure promises for £5,500 by October 1 st in order to erase the debts and liabilities, besides establishing a small working balance to allow fixtures and their associated guarantees to be drawn up for 1933. There was a caveat though in the Chairman’s letter, reflecting the gravity of the situation, with a note saying that “all donations will be returned if it is found impossible to continue first-class cricket in 1933.” 6 Public meetings were held in Cardiff, Swansea and Pontypridd to launch the Campaign, with Maurice and influential committee members eloquently speaking about carrying on. At one, the Glamorgan captain said: “Throughout the country, Glamorgan are regarded as one of the best sporting teams on the road. This accolade means a lot to the team. Our professionals are the finest lot of lads I know – they are very young, but they showed great promise last season.” 7