Lives in Cricket No 22 - Jack Mercer

107 Chapter Seventeen Renaissance man ‘It was the greatest thrill of my cricketing life,’ were Jack’s words after taking all ten wickets at Worcester in 1936 and a performance which was the undoubted pinnacle of a long and loyal career with Glamorgan. 99 Having taken over 1,000 wickets, as well as a hat-trick, there seemed not much else for the 43-year-old to achieve and he could have been forgiven for easing up and gradually melting into the background. 100 Indeed, some thought that, having taken his benefit, Jack would wind down in 1937 before retiring from the first-class game. But his success in 1936 rejuvenated Jack and he continued to play regular county cricket for another three seasons, bowling over 11,000 more balls and taking over 150 wickets to further add to his already impressive tally. It helped, no doubt, that 1937 was a highly successful summer as Glamorgan won eleven out of their 28 matches to finish in seventh place in the table – their highest position to date. The season began with an innings victory over Kent before Jack played a hand in Glamorgan’s defeat of the New Zealanders at the Arms Park, delivering an exemplary new-ball spell on the opening day, conceding just 21 runs in fourteen accurate overs, allowing the Welsh county to gain the upper hand against the tourists. Dick Duckfield subsequently scored a fine hundred, before 25-year-old off-spinner Closs Jones took six for 41 as Glamorgan secured a six-wicket victory. The visit in the first week of June to Swansea saw Jack thrive again at the seaside ground as he produced a couple of match-winning spells when Hampshire attempted to make 255 on the final afternoon. After losing an early wicket to the veteran, Hampshire seemed well on course, but Jack returned to dismiss Gerry Hill and Dick Moore in successive deliveries, with the former falling to an outstanding catch by Turnbull at short leg. Lloyd Budd then revived Hampshire’s hopes, but Jack struck again having Stuart Boyes smartly stumped by Tom Brierley, before another subtle change of pace saw Donald Walker edge to Arnold Dyson in the slips as Glamorgan won with half an hour to spare. Worthy as these efforts were, the bowling honours in 1937 went to Johnnie Clay who established a new club record of 176 wickets by 99 Western Mail , 30 July 1936. 100 Indeed, he missed the last match of the 1936 season against Nottinghamshire at Cardiff so that George Reed and Wilf Hughes could have a trial as a new-ball partnership. Their selection also gave Jack a chance to visit various schools and colleges in Sussex from whom he had received offers of winter work as a cricket coach.