Lives in Cricket No 22 - Jack Mercer

36 Chapter Five An approach from the north One of the curiosities of Glamorgan cricket during the 1920s – some might even say throughout the years before the Second World War – was the way county caps were awarded. In modern times, the presentation of a cap has been in recognition of regular and consistent performances, in cricket’s equivalent of a coming-of-age. But in the inter-war period a Glamorgan player was considered as being capped after having made just six first- eleven appearances. Jack reached this landmark in the final game of the 1923 season when he played against Hampshire at the Arms Park, and he duly began the following summer as a capped player: much was therefore expected of him in 1924, but it proved to be something of an anti-climax for both the Welsh county and their new bowler. By winning five games, Glamorgan rose to thirteenth in the Championship. The cost of opponents’ wickets was reduced from 29.43 in 1923 to 19.62, but the cricket press attributed this almost entirely to ‘the splendid work of Ryan’. Jack appeared in all bar two of the club’s Championship matches, but his haul of 39 wickets, albeit at just over 21 apiece, was disappointing. His fellow seamer Helm Spencer, who had joined from Lancashire after a qualification period with Llanelli, proved to be more penetrative, claiming 59 wickets, whilst Frank Ryan enjoyed a wonderful summer, amassing 120 wickets to prove he was amongst the finest spinners in the competition. Throughout the summer, the left-armer failed to take a wicket in just two Championship innings: in contrast, Jack went wicketless on a dozen occasions as he found the step-up to regular first-class cricket quite a big one. The warning signs were there, both for the club and Jack, in early May at Liverpool, when the limitations of their batting were cruelly exposed as Glamorgan were dismissed for just 22 on a dramatic second day of their match against Lancashire. In all, 25 wickets tumbled after the opening day of the contest had been washed out. The dramatic day began with Lancashire bundled out for 49, with Jack starting the procession with the fourth ball of the morning as he had Harry Makepeace caught at long leg. He added two more wickets before Ryan and Spencer – as so many times that summer – worked their way through the home batting. Cec Parkin then humbled the visitors in the space of 15.3 overs, taking six for six, including the first five wickets at no cost, as the Welsh county were dismissed for what still remains their lowest Championship total. Then in their second innings they collapsed to 44 for seven, though Jack defiantly blasted Parkin for three successive fours before the home side wrapped up victory.