Cricket Witness No 5 - Whites on Green

39 Local rivalries as the boundary. However, Cadoxton was included in the east in order to balance the books and after beating Cardiff and Newport, the two crack teams in the east, they met Swansea in the final, held once again at St. Helen’s over two weekends in September. Perhaps, though, it was too late in the season as the legacy of rain resulted in damp, bowler friendly conditions, much to the liking of Lewis Jenkins and Lewis Kempthorne as chasing a target of 153, Cadoxton skittled out Swansea for 49. Swansea made the final again in 1883, defeating Morriston and Llanelli, before heading to Cardiff and hoping for better luck than before in finals at the Arms Park. After a delayed start because of rain, Swansea made 100. Cardiff then gained a slender first innings lead by making 126, before rain interrupted play again with Swansea on 85-5. The Cardiffians immediately claimed a victory on the strength of having a first innings lead, but the men from Swansea disagreed, pointing out the competition rules which stated that all innings should be played out and, after a heated discussion, a replay took place a fortnight later at the Arms Park. This time Swansea fared much better in their first innings, making 84 before dismissing Cardiff for 46 with Bill Gwynn claiming five wickets. Batting for a second time, Swansea extended their lead to 95 prior to John Price Jones and Tom Barlow making a breezy start against the Swansea seamers before struggling yet again up against Gwynn. The off-spinner made steady inroads yet again and guided Swansea to a 22- run victory. It prompted great joy in the west, especially after the high- handed way in which Cardiff’s officials had tried to bend the rules and ecstatic celebrations took place that night in Swansea, as described by the correspondent of the South Wales Daily News : “placards were posted about the town announcing the result and crowds of devotees awaited the arrival of the team by the 8.20 [p.m.] train. A band played ‘See the Conquering Hero Come’ as the train entered the station and Bertie Perkins [the captain], Gwynn and Addie were carried on the shoulders of some of their admirers. The band headed the impromptu procession which filled a good portion of High Street and loud cheers greeted the team on all sides.” 4 Celebrations went on long into the night in the Mackworth Arms, with neutral umpire George Rosser from Newport, opting to head west rather than returning home after play! He duly joined in the party and, just for good measure, spent a couple of days relaxing with friends in the Mumbles afterwards. Cardiff and Swansea met again in the final in 1884 with the team from the east eager to make amends for what had taken place the year before. But the officials from Swansea won the toss to decide the location of the final and, this time, it was the Cardiffians who headed to St. Helen’s for the final in August. After winning the toss and opting to bowl, the Cardiff bowlers reduced Swansea to 220 before Matthew Richards, a well-known local barrister and football Blue with Cambridge, made an unbeaten 103. Rain then twice interrupted Cardiff’s reply before reaching 199-8 when