Cricket Witness No 5 - Whites on Green

31 The Bancrofts 1912 saw a triangular series with both Australia and South Africa playing in a series against England, and with a match against the Australians scheduled for August at the Arms Park, the opportunity of staging a match against the Springboks at St. Helen’s presented an ideal opportunity for the Swansea club to showcase their facilities for a major cricket match. The decision met with great excitement in the Swansea area, with additional seating being hired to line the rugby field boundary and, also at the Mumbles Road End. The lofty grandstand, built in 1891/92, also provided decent seating. With increased expenditure, plus a guarantee to be paid to the Springboks, the Swansea authorities agreed to the suggestion by the Glamorgan committee to raise admission from sixpence to a shilling. With plenty of rain in the days leading up to contest, there was concern about how events would unfold, as outlined in a report in the Western Mail : “Swansea has been on tenterhooks for the past few days owing to the uncertainty of the weather. The reputation of the town in the matter of getting a profitable crowd is now at stake.” 2 The tourists arrived the night before by train from Bath in overcast and drizzly conditions, and there was still a bit of dampness around as they, and the South Wales team, gently limbered up ahead of the toss. With uncertainty about the start time, only 500 people were present when Louis Tancred and Herbie Taylor walked out to bat after the tourists had elected to bat, but this increased nearly ten fold by mid-afternoon as the locals watched the Springboks ease to 352, with Sid Pegler adding some lusty blows late in the innings as he struck spinner and assistant groundsman Harry Creber for a brace of sixes into the Mumbles Road. Billy held a catch at mid-off to remove Claude Carter, before opening the batting with Norman Riches as the South Wales side began their reply with 35 minutes play remaining. But Billy’s stay at the wicket proved to be a brief one as after a couple of drives he was bowled by Dave Nourse. The left-arm seamer made further inroads the following morning and with Pegler’s leg-breaks filleting the middle-order, the Welsh side were in danger of following-on and potentially losing inside two days. Noel Phillips of Monmouthshire, plus the Glamorgan pairing of Henry Symonds and Tom Whittington offered some stout resistance before the Welsh side were dismissed for 192. To the relief of the Glamorgan and Swansea officials, Frank Mitchell opted to bat again rather than enforce the follow-on – “a grand sporting gesture” proclaimed the South Wales Evening Post whose correspondent was very well aware of the sizeable loss an early finish would create. 3 Stan Hacker, the former Gloucestershire fast bowler who was now delivering brisk cutters, took the honours when the tourists batted again with Mitchell himself top-scoring against a Welsh attack that was missing Harry Creber who had a shoulder strain, and no doubt some bruised pride, after the onslaught by the Yorkshire-born batsman first time around. When the last Springbok wicket fell, the South Wales side were left with a