Cricket Witness No 5 - Whites on Green

30 The Bancrofts sum that the committee originally had in mind, and it may have been no coincidence that around this time, news filtered through about the more lucrative offer to Billy from Wiltshire. Soon after hearing about the details from the Chippenham club, JTD made some more diplomatic noises, as well as dipping into his pocket, allowing more generous terms to be offered. To the delight of sporting fans in Swansea, Billy quickly agreed terms with Glamorgan, allowing him to remain with Swansea RFC. His fee with Glamorgan was the princely amount of £2 per week for twenty weeks, allowing him to continue in the rather paradoxical situation of representing Glamorgan as a professional sportsman during the summer, whilst in the winter, playing as an amateur rugby player for Wales. His career subsequently blossomed, with Billy subsequently leading Wales on eleven occasions from 1898, including their Triple Crown win in 1900. He also developed a reputation of being one of the game’s finest kickers – a richly deserved honour at a time when games were staged using heavy, leather balls. Despite often being saturated with water and mud, Billy developed a skill to almost nonchalantly drop or place kick a ball with unerring accuracy. Another party piece saw him catch the ball, before waiting for the opposition to run towards him, but just before they were poised to tackle him, he would jink and quickly dart away, leaving the would-be tackler sprawling on the floor. As far as Billy’s cricketing career was concerned, he recorded his maiden county century in 1896, with an unbeaten 119 against Monmouthshire, and for the next dozen years he was a stalwart presence in the Glamorgan middle-order side as, from 1897, they played in the Minor County Championship. In 1899 he enjoyed a fine game against Surrey 2 nd XI, scoring 102, and taking a career-best 5/20 with his seam bowling. However, his finest match in Glamorgan ranks came in 1903, fittingly on his home ground in Swansea, as he made 207. The local newspapers were full of praise for his efforts with the Evening Express saying “his finely played innings re-established his reputation, for he gave fewer chances than usual to the fielders.” 1 . Berkshire were on the receiving end again in 1905, as he made his fourth hundred for Glamorgan with a solid 105, and during the course of the next four years, Billy added centuries to his tally against Northumberland, Devon and Cornwall. 20 June 1912 was a standout date both for Billy and the St. Helen’s ground as the all-rounder appeared for South Wales in the inaugural first-class fixture staged at Swansea. A combined Glamorgan and Monmouthshire side had played the touring teams since 1905, but the three-day match against the 1912 South Africans was the only one to be staged at St. Helen’s, and the only one to be awarded first-class status. It came at a time when Glamorgan’s campaign for elevation into the County Championship was gaining support, and the need for another lucrative venue, in addition to the Arms Park for marquee games, was uppermost in the administrators thinking.