Lives in Cricket No 22 - Jack Mercer

45 Championship table. Thankfully, their return journey via the Cotswolds and the Midlands was less eventful, with victories over Gloucestershire and Warwickshire. They won by four wickets at the Victoria Ground in Cheltenham as Jack’s off-cutters were to the fore, polishing off Gloucestershire’s resistance. Then, at Edgbaston, his skills with the new ball proved decisive as he took five for 38 when Johnnie Clay opted to bowl first in overcast conditions. The contest was switched onto an adjoining pitch after the original strip was deemed unfit after it had been saturated by overnight rain. Jack was quickly into the Warwickshire batting, uprooting the off-stump of opener ‘Tiger’ Smith, before a clever change of pace saw Bob Wyatt spoon a slower ball straight back into Jack’s hands. After a short rest and a change of ends, he bowled Len Bates off his pads, before trapping Norman Kilner leg before and having Danny Mayer snared at short leg by a smart catch by Eddie Bates. John Bell then posted a sober century before further rain spiced up the surface as Glamorgan recorded an innings victory to keep them in the top three of the table. The Welsh county had a ten-day break at the end of June, but Jack was never one for rest, as he guested for Neath in their South Wales and Monmouthshire League match against Pontardawe at The Gnoll, blasting 82 and taking seven for 21 to earn his afternoon’s fee. Jack continued his form with the bat and ball when Nottinghamshire visited Swansea with his cutters claiming four victims before half a dozen fours in a carefree tail-end innings helped his side secure a modest lead. However, it proved invaluable as Jack delivered a superb new-ball spell during which his swing accounted for three top-order batsmen, and although Glamorgan’s run chase briefly faltered, they maintained their winning ways by two wickets. Jack’s abilities with both the new and old ball were then to the fore at Dudley where a feisty opening spell saw him claim four for 13, before adding three further victims to finish with figures of seven for 40 as Worcestershire were bundled out for 98. The Welsh county then built a mammoth lead with John Bell scoring the club’s first double-hundred. Later Jack added a further six scalps with his subtle variations of pace and swing to finish with match figures of thirteen for 98 as Glamorgan posted further fine victory. The following week at Kettering, Jack delivered another hostile new-ball spell in which he took five wickets before opening his shoulders and unleashing some hearty blows in a half-hour stay at the crease which provided grand entertainment for the crowd, and only ended as he tried to reach his half-century in the grand manner. His wholehearted efforts laid the foundation for a five-wicket win as Glamorgan remained close to the top of the table. His fine form with the ball continued during July as he took six wickets at Leyton, including a spell of four for 17 in eleven overs, before taking ten wickets in the game with Somerset at the Arms Park – a contest Turning the corner