Lives in Cricket No 22 - Jack Mercer

5 Foreword by Robert Croft In July 2010 I was fortunate to emulate the feat of Jack Mercer, plus two other Glamorgan legends, Don Shepherd and Johnnie Clay, in taking 1,000 first-class wickets for the Welsh county. I achieved the feat during the county’s Championship match at the St Helen’s ground in Swansea where I had started to play from the age of nine. If I had to choose a place to achieve the feat, I could not have selected a more fitting ground. Going into the match still needing three wickets, on the opening day I claimed a further two scalps, both caught by wicketkeeper Mark Wallace as I ended the day on 999 wickets. I only had a couple of hours sleep afterwards as there were a lot of emotions running through me. The feeling around the ground had been incredible, and I think the crowd seemed more nervous than me. There was also a little bit of extra drama when I turned my ankle on the first day so the pressure was building up and I also realised that the weather was likely to close in again. In fact, on the second morning, rain washed out play before lunch and we didn’t get back into the field until 1.40 pm. It looked a bit thundery and I didn’t know how long I had. I was a bit worried because I never bowl well when I know I only have a few overs. During my first few overs I had a couple of stifled appeals but then, in my fifth over of the day, Wayne White tickled the ball down the leg side and Wally completed another catch. I was hoping for the classic off-spinner’s wicket – bowled through the gate – but it was another great catch! The batsman walked immediately without the umpire having to raise his finger, whilst my team-mates ran over to embrace me. I raised my arms aloft to celebrate and almost collapsed with such a huge sense of relief. It’s difficult to explain your emotions because within a split second you recall everything you have been through. The boys were quick to get to me and their feelings were honest and heartfelt and it made such a huge difference. Then Don Shepherd, the last man to take 1,000 wickets for Glamorgan and the man who had coached and mentored me from an early age, walked out to the middle with club president Peter Walker with a glass of champagne to celebrate this special moment. I don’t know if Jack Mercer did the same when he reached 1,000, but I do know that when Peter held a catch off Shep’s bowling in 1969, he also celebrated his 2,000th wicket with a glass of bubbly out in the middle!