Lives in Cricket No 22 - Jack Mercer

28 case, he allegedly introduced himself to the retailer as the Glamorgan professional and someone who had many contacts with local clubs. The owner of the shop duly handed over a box of a dozen balls having fully believed Mignon’s story, but the alarm bells started to ring when officials of leading clubs were approached by Mignon about buying the balls from him at somewhat inflated prices. Questions were raised where the difference in value would go – presumably Mignon’s pockets – and the end result was an appearance in a Cardiff court in April 1922 during which Arthur Gibson, the Glamorgan secretary, was called to confirm that Mignon had no appointment with Glamorgan. Mignon disputed the claims made against him, and was eventually discharged, but having crossed swords with several leading figures in South Wales cricket, he left the area to accept a position with Ashton-under-Lyne C.C. for 1922. If Mignon had not involved himself in these murky dealings, an opportunity might not have opened up for Jack with Glamorgan in 1922. During his qualification period, Jack found himself attached to Barry C.C. Barry were one of the go-ahead clubs in the region, whose ambitions were evident in the way their officials during the winter of 1921/22 had persuaded the Earl of Plymouth and the Barry Railway Company to provide additional space so that they could develop an expanded and levelled ground on Barry Island. 23 The club had several county players; their captain Arthur Osborne had played for Glamorgan between 1901 and 1911, and Billy Spiller, a former Welsh rugby international, had struck Glamorgan’s first-ever Championship hundred during the county’s away match with Northamptonshire in August 1921. The Barry club also had many promising youngsters and as ‘Nomad’ wrote in April 1922 in the Western Mail : ‘the club is fortunate in having allocated to it Jack Mercer. He is expected to prove invaluable at the nets in coaching the promising youngsters which the club boasts and who are expected to develop into first-class players.’ 24 Jack returned to South Wales during the last week of April 1922 and initially shared a property close to the Arms Park with fellow signings Abel, Sullivan and Ryan. The four newcomers duly gathered at the nets at the Cardiff ground as the county’s professionals prepared for the new season and, perhaps, better fortunes. The Arms Park was quite windswept and chilly, but from the outset Jack was cheerful and positive, with his enthusiasm and good humour quickly endearing him to his new colleagues. The following weekend he marked his debut for the Barry club; in overcast conditions at Briton Ferry Steel he scored a typically forthright 24, opening the batting with Osborne, and then took six for 26 as the home side grimly hung on for a draw. The following weekend Jack was amongst the wickets again in Briton Ferry as he took four for 28 against the town side. Saturday, 6 May 1922 was A move to South Wales 23 Initially a nomadic club, Barry C.C. acquired in 1904 an area of land from the Jenner family of Wenvoe Castle close to the seafront at this popular resort and subsequently developed their own ground on this land. 24 Western Mail , 11 April 1922.