Lives in Cricket No 22 - Jack Mercer

116 was piqued at the haste at which the club reached its decision, especially given that he had already successfully assisted Hitch with several scouting missions. To make matters worse, news was leaked to the press that Jack’s services would not be retained. Turnbull and several of the professionals were furious about this, with Jack venting his frustration by taking seven for 67 against Leicestershire on the first day at Swansea, extracting considerable swing in the conditions to confound the visiting batsmen. Matters were rectified the following day in the local newspapers with an announcement by the club saying that thought was being given to Jack being offered a player-coach role, with specific responsibilities for the colts and the Second Eleven. Although it was only 24 hours after the newspaper had carried the initial, leaked story, he had already received offers from several league clubs in Lancashire and Yorkshire, and it looked as if he would have a tricky decision to make. As it turned out – not for the first time in his life – events on the world stage had a dramatic effect on the veteran bowler as the nation was put on a war footing. With gun emplacements being erected at locations in and around Cardiff, and the newspapers full of stories about young men undertaking military training, there was little cricket chat amongst the amateurs and professionals during the last few weeks of the season. Like everyone else, Jack’s mind was on far weightier matters in Europe, and on several occasions his mind drifted back to those dark hours on the Somme in 1916. His playing career as a professional had started shortly after a World War, and now it was destined to end before another bloody battle. The last hurrah