Lives in Cricket No 22 - Jack Mercer

112 For the third consecutive day, the famous Swansea ground was soon full of excited chatter, but the start was delayed as there had been heavy rain earlier in the morning and the outfield was saturated. Even so, people still filed slowly into the ground, and patiently waited as the umpires made several inspections. The tourists were keen to make a departure for their next match, but Turnbull persuaded the Australians to stay on and although the ground was unsuitable for fielding, Turnbull said he was happy to declare and take his players out into the field so that the crowd could be rewarded for their patience. Bradman graciously agreed, and play began at 4 pm. The price of field entrance was also reduced to sixpence, and the pennies were soon rattling into the club’s coffers as news spread around Swansea that the Australians would be batting, and a further 3,000 people squeezed into the ground. They did not have to wait long for Bradman to appear as Wooller dismissed Jack Fingleton with just three runs on the board, and then in strode the mighty Don to a huge roar from the Swansea crowd. He soon made some forcing strokes, and after six overs from Mercer, Johnnie Clay entered into the attack and started to tease the great Australian with his clever spin bowling. Years later, wicketkeeper Haydn Davies still remembered the battle that afternoon between master batsman and master bowler: Johnnie was all arms and legs and quite difficult to pick up unless, like me, you were used to facing him. Bowling to Bradman, Johnnie beat him through the air on several occasions, and in sheer desperation, the Don eventually went down the wicket, got beaten by Johnnie’s superb flight and I stumped him. The crowd cheered loudly as the umpire raised his finger, and Bradman departed for the pavilion. But as we gathered in mid wicket, Clay was not as overjoyed as everyone else, as it suddenly dawned on him, the effect that Bradman’s departure might have on gate money. He turned to Maurice and said ‘Damn it, they will be wanting their money back now! Renaissance man