Lives in Cricket No 22 - Jack Mercer

80 The match later in the season against Yorkshire at Swansea epitomised this new fighting spirit within the Glamorgan camp. Previously, the Yorkshire bowlers had been treated with great caution, but not on this occasion as Jack and Johnnie Clay unleashed a furious assault on the Tykes’ bowling as they added 84 in just three-quarters of an hour. Jack began the merry mayhem by smashing Hedley Verity for three successive fours, before adding eight further boundaries as he raced to his half- century in the space of forty minutes. He added five more runs before a stunning catch at cover point ended his furious cavalcade of blows, with his efforts being rewarded the following day as Glamorgan gained a rare first-innings lead. Jack’s early season form continued with five-wicket hauls against Lancashire and Hampshire, in addition to some more feisty innings. At Oxford he was promoted to three in Glamorgan’s second innings and struck the undergraduates for 42 in forty minutes with five lusty fours and a six. This was followed by a far more cultured innings at Swansea against Derbyshire where in the space of half an hour Jack made a vibrant 54. ‘He played like a Jessop,’ commented ‘Nomad’ as with a series of crisply struck blows Jack hit nine fours and two sixes to the delight of the home crowd. 81 But as the season progressed, Jack sustained further niggles in his left leg and in the absence of another seam or swing bowler, he valiantly played through the pain barrier, as well as delivering more off-cutters. His switch to cut and spin though had great effect, as in the match with Northamptonshire at the Arms Park, he and Frank Ryan fully exploited a worn wicket to set up a comprehensive innings victory for Turnbull’s team. The upshot was that it wasn’t until the first week of July that Jack deploying his ‘Saucy Sally’ at the Arms Park against Lancashire in May 1930. George Duckworth is the keeper. Life under Turnbull 81 Western Mail , 5 June 1930.