Lives in Cricket No 22 - Jack Mercer

79 cricket writer, to wear an MCC tie and impersonate Lionel Tennyson at various away matches. Morgan had more than a passing resemblance to the former Hampshire captain and, through Jack’s encouragement, he wore the MCC tie during the match at Hull where many of the crowd and all of the local scribes in the press tent thought that they were in the company of Lord Tennyson. But as word spread to the pavilion about the illustrious observer, Maurice felt that what had started as a harmless prank was now threatening to get out of hand and in no uncertain terms he told both Jacks that the joke should end immediately before any lasting embarrassment was caused. Some observers had viewed the appointment of young Turnbull as Glamorgan captain for 1930 as the last throw of the dice by a beleaguered club. Their travails were neatly summed up by ‘Nomad’ in his pre-season review: ‘We have been told plainly that Glamorgan as a first-class county is on trial for the last time and unless better results from a playing and financial point of view are obtained, there will be no alternative but to put up the shutters.’ 80 Indeed, Turnbull’s first season in charge saw the club’s finances in a parlous state, and being unable to afford a county coach, the junior professionals spent a period in April at Strudwick and Sandham’s indoor school in Wandsworth for pre-season coaching. There was also just one outdoor practice match on turf before the opening encounter of the 1930 season, against Surrey at The Oval, and with such little preparation, the doom-mongers were rubbing their hands. But right from the outset there was a buoyant and optimistic mood in the Glamorgan camp, as shown by the way Eddie Bates and Joe Hills posted forthright centuries at The Oval as Glamorgan secured a first-innings lead. Jack himself made merry against the Surrey bowlers, slogging 39 in a quarter of an hour, during which he was dropped half a dozen times and, for good measure, broke his bat! The positive mood was also apparent a fewweeks later in thematch atWorcesterwhere Jackbeganwith a return of six for 64 as he and Frank Ryan bowled unchanged throughout the morning session. The home bowlers then exploited the wicket and overcast conditions, and for a while it looked as though Glamorgan might be forced to follow on. But, with Trevor Every, Jack helped the team avoid having to bat again, before producing a magnificent spell in Worcestershire’s second innings as they dramatically collapsed from 66 for one to 143 all out. With his trademark in-swing and subtle variations of pace, Jack took eight for 41 as Glamorgan were left with the task of scoring 284 on the final day to win the game. Unfortunately, their quest was not helped by the loss to rain of the morning session on the final day, and the damp conditions favoured the home bowlers as Glamorgan’s batsmen struggled, with wickets falling at regular intervals. With an hour to go, Worcestershire needed just three more wickets to record a victory, but the new fighting spirit was evident again as Dai Davies, Trevor Every and Jack all defended stubbornly to save the game. Life under Turnbull 80 Western Mail , 19 April 1930.