Lives in Cricket No 22 - Jack Mercer

95 Jack spoke to Every about his poor day behind the stumps. ‘I think it’s simply because I wasn’t concentrating properly,’ said Trevor, but after being bowled for a duck the next morning, with his bat nowhere near the ball, Jack spoke to him again and said ‘Trevor, I think you’ve got a problem – go and speak with the captain.’ Jack had already alerted Turnbull about his concerns about Every’s vision, so after speaking with the Glamorgan captain, Every went to see an eye specialist at Cardiff Infirmary. The doctor duly undertook several tests and then gave the 24-year-old the awful news that his optic nerve was deteriorating, and that there was nothing that could be done for him. The following morning, Turnbull quickly told Jack the dreadful news before gathering everyone together in the Arms Park pavilion and quietly told them that Every was in hospital and would soon lose his sight. ‘Let’s raise some money to help our pal,’ was Jack’s heartfelt response as the entire team agreed to immediately set up a fund to raise some cash for the popular wicketkeeper. Within a few weeks of the diagnosis, Every was completely blind, but through the kindness of his colleagues, he was able to retrain as a stenographer and adjust to life as a blind person. Every’s tragic and abrupt departure meant that Tom Brierley took over behind the stumps, and for a while he took time to adjust to his new role and to familiarize himself with Jack’s bowling variations. In light of these cruel blows, Glamorgan did exceptionally well to finish in thirteenth place in the table, with victories over Northamptonshire at Pontypridd, Somerset at Swansea, and Surrey at The Oval. The Surrey match saw a remarkable innings by Jack, who struck a career- best 72 and helped improve Glamorgan’s position after tea on the first day after they had slipped to 232 for nine. Only George Lavis had offered any resistance, but with Jack he added a record 120 in a shade over an hour with Jack unfurling a series of mighty blows including a massive straight six off Percy Fender into the pavilion seating. Lavis also played some expansive drives as the Surrey bowlers were put to the sword by the gleeful last-wicket pair. In a bid to end their spree Errol Holmes, the Surrey captain, brought Alf Gover back into the attack, but Jack greeted his return by driving and pulling four successive fours before swatting the fifth to mid-wicket for three. Lavis then cover-drove the last ball for yet another boundary. 91 During the over, Jack passed fifty and his half-century was greeted with hearty applause from a hardy band of London Welshmen and there was further rapturous applause as the 300 came up with another cultured drive through the covers from Lavis. It seemed as if none of the Surrey bowlers could contain the pair, but when Eddie Watts returned in place of Gover, the seamer bowled Jack as he attempted another massive blow in the direction of the pavilion. Over the weekend, a deluge The swinging thirties 91 In his autobiography, Flanelled Foolishness , Errol Holmes, the Surrey leader new to captaincy, admitted that a more experienced captain might have prevented Jack’s onslaught. He described Jack’s batting as ‘having no scientific pretensions’.