Cricket Witness No 5 - Whites on Green

88 Championship tricks and a victory over the Boks at the other end, taking 2/24 as Glamorgan clinched another victory to maintain their place in the Championship table. These victories had seen Glamorgan bat first, but the class of ’48 showed that they could also win by bowling first on Swansea soil. This duly happened in early July as Sussex were beaten by six wickets, although such a scenario had seemed unlikely as John Langridge occupied the crease for just under four hours to compile a painstaking hundred. His opening partner Harry Parks made a half-century but once they were parted, Muncer then ran through the rest of the side to claim 8/99, with Trick again being the perfect foil at the other end delivering 45 accurate overs for just 64 runs. Sussex’s final total of 261 was quite disappointing given Langridge’s efforts and the home batsmen played with confidence and class on the wearing surface with Parkhouse scoring a brilliant maiden first-class hundred, as described below by Nomad: “The innings played by Parkhouse was a delight to watch because of the abundance of the all-around-the-wicket strokes which he employed. He was never over venturesome and he never crossed the border to recklessness. His hitting was generally crisp: it was never indecisive. The fluency of his strokeplay showed without a doubt that he is destined to get many hundreds.” 4 With Jim Eaglestone, Glamorgan’s recent acquisition from Middlesex making 72 in 50 minutes, Glamorgan ended on 402 before Muncer and Trick got to work again as the pair of spinners exploiting the dry surface. The former ended with 7/102 from 45 teasing overs as Glamorgan were left with a modest target of 93 to win, and with confidence sky high in the home camp, they eased to a four-wicket win, with the strains of the Stan Trick is on the far right of this image, taken at St. Helen’s in 1948, as Wilf Wooller leads the Glamorgan side into the field.