May 25, 26 v Surrey 2nd XI at The Oval – Lost by 4 wickets
June 5, 6 South Wales v Indians at Cardiff Arms Park – Won by 7 wickets
June 21, 22 v Wiltshire at Trowbridge – Won by 10 wickets
June 30, July 1 v Monmouthshire at St. Helen’s, Swansea – Won by an innings and 166 runs
July 10, 11 v Carmarthenshire at St. Helen’s, Swansea – Won by an innings and 226 runs
July 17, 18 v Carmarthenshire at Stradey Park, Llanelli – Won by an innings and 147 runs
July 28, 29 v Surrey 2nd XI at St. Helen’s, Swansea – Lost by 61 runs
July 31, Aug 1 v Staffordshire at Cardiff Arms Park – Match Drawn
Aug 4, 5 v Buckinghamshire at Aylesbury – Match Drawn
Aug 7, 8 v Wiltshire at Cardiff Arms Park – Won by 10 wickets
Aug 9, 10 v Staffordshire at Stoke-on-Trent – Match Drawn
Aug 11, 12 v Monmouthshire at Rodney Parade, Newport – Won by an innings and 3 runs
Aug 14, 15 v Buckinghamshire at The Gnoll, Neath – Won by an innings and 176 runs
The Spring of 1911 was a very depressing time for Glamorgan’s officials as a series of cost-saving measures with several professionals being told their services would not be required. A circular was also sent to the business and sporting community of South Wales saying “it is manifest that unless some steps can be taken to relieve the Club of their present burden of debt, and at the same time broaden the area of support by largely increasing the members’ subscriptions, the county cricket club cannot hope to justify its existence.”
Despite the grave financial situation, Glamorgan won seven of their dozen games, whilst South Wales also defeated the Indians at the Arms Park by seven wickets. Stan Hacker took 6/17 as the All-India side were dismissed for 53, before Henry Symonds made an attractive 56. Although the tourists amassed 233 , the bowling of Hacker, who claimed six wickets again, meant that the South Wales side only needed 81 with Norman Riches and Tal Whittington seeing them to victory.
Opposite – Henry Symonds. Image Credit – Glamorgan Cricket Archives.
1911 was an exceptional year for Riches as he became the first Minor County batsman to score 1,000 runs in a season. His tally of 1015 runs at an average of 92.27 was one of the reasons why Glamorgan recorded three successive innings victories with the opener making 159 as Monmouthshire were defeated at Swansea, plus 150 as Carmarthenshire were beaten at Llanelli. Just for good measure, Whittington weighed in with 176 as Carmarthenshire lost at St. Helen’s, before Riches added further to his tally with an unbeaten 167 as Monmouthshire lost by an innings at Newport, before making 194 at The Gnoll as Buckinghamshire subsided to a defeat by an innings and 176 runs.