Cricket Witness No 5 - Whites on Green

29 The Bancrofts 1894 saw Billy enjoy his most successful season to date with the bat for Glamorgan. Previously he had recorded solitary fifties in 1891, 1892 and 1893, but in 1894 alone Bancroft scored no less than four fifties, against the MCC and Monmouthshire. By the end of the summer, his stock as an all-round sportsman was in the ascent, and a lucrative offer came his way from Wiltshire to join them as a professional for the 1895 season. For a couple of weeks, it looked as if Glamorgan’s most promising young player would accept the offer which, at the end of the day, would more than provide him with financial security. The reaction however from sporting circles in Swansea was one of complete shock, and public meetings were held in the town to discuss the issues. A couple of other, highly successful Swansea rugby players had previously turned professional by going ‘north’, and playing rugby league for teams based in Lancashire and Yorkshire, and for a while, it looked as if Billy Bancroft would also leave South Wales. Not for the first time, JTD solved a potentially tricky situation by suggesting to Jack Brain, the Glamorgan captain, that the Welsh county themselves should offer Billy decent terms to be a full-time professional. This was in keeping with Jack’s thoughts, especially his musing over how the county could become a more professional outfit. On several occasions, amateurs had failed to turn up for matches, and hiring more professional players on a decent retainer was one option, although one with a price for the Welsh county. However, the committee saw the logic in having a regular professional, especially someone who was locally born and, like Billy, was well-known to the sporting public. However, the sticking point was the quite modest Billy Bancroft – in his winter and summer kit.