Cricket Witness No 5 - Whites on Green

51 Swansea at war unbeaten hundred before Essex’s batsmen grimly hung on for a draw. The enthusiasm and joy of Glamorgan’s supporters at the excellent form of their side in the matches at Swansea was swiftly tempered by the ever- worsening news in the South Wales Evening Post . Reading articles with headlines such as “Europe is in a state of suspense” and “The shadow of war is overhanging” left nobody in any doubt about what was going to unfold. Glamorgan’s dreams of first-class status in 1915 or 1916 swiftly evaporated as Britain declared war with Germany in early August and within a couple of weeks, British troops were in action on foreign soil as the First World War began. One of the first signs in Swansea of the impending hostilities had come in late July as a detachment of two dozen men from the Welch Border Regiment travelled from Pembroke Dock to take up positions guarding the entrance into the town’s docks. The August Bank Holiday weekend saw cricket briefly continue and Creber continued in fine form as he bowled Glamorgan to victory over Surrey 2 nd XI at the Arms Park. But with war having been declared, and the Great Western Railway now operating an emergency timetable as they attempted to transport troops to various military training camps and ports in southern England, getting safely back home to London, rather than chasing a target of 184, must have been uppermost in the minds of the Surrey players. By the time that Harry Creber had returned to his home in Swansea, a number of German vessels had already been seized in the town’s docks, whilst old soldiers, reservists and territorials were signing up in droves at the recruiting stations. With rumours of a German invasion, there was also some panic buying, with two shops in Swansea having to temporarily close after completely running out of provisions. A few days later when several grocery stores raised their prices, shoppers responded in an angry way by smashing their windows. The St. Helen’s ground, as seen in 1914.