Photo Credit – Glamorgan Cricket Archives.
1963 saw the introduction of one-day cricket into the county calendar with the seventeen teams taking part in a 65 overs a side contest, sponsored by Gillette. Glamorgan`s inaugural match in the new competition took place against Somerset at the Arms Park on May 22nd , and the Welsh county duly won a closely fought game, thanks to a fine century from Bernard Hedges and some fiery new ball bowling by Jeff Jones.
However, a Glamorgan defeat had looked a more likely result after the Welsh county faltered in the opening overs. Ken Palmer dismissed Alwyn Harris and Fred Rumsey caught and bowled Alan Jones to leave Glamorgan on 11-2. But Tony Lewis and Bernard Hedges then added exactly 100 for the third wicket to wrest the initiative back in Glamorgan`s favour.
Despite the loss of Lewis for 40, and the subsequent loss of three further wickets for just seven runs, Hedges kept the scoreboard ticking over with deft placement, plus the occasional boundary. Hedges received valiant support from wicket-keeper Eifion Jones and all-rounder Hamish Miller, and the Pontypridd-born batsman eventually reached a well deserved century shortly before the end of Glamorgan`s 65 overs.
It was then the turn of left-arm quickie Jeff Jones to take centre stage as Somerset chased a target of 208. The young pace bowler from Llanelli dismissed the dangerous Roy Virgin and West Indian Peter Wight in a hostile opening spell, before Hedges` gentle medium pace accounted for Colin Atkinson and Australian Bill Alley. Jones returned to clean bowl Merv Kitchen for 25, and after Jim Pressdee had taken the wickets of Chris Greetham, Ken Palmer and harold Stephenson, Somerset were teetering on the verge of defeat at 121-8.
Brian Langford and David Doughty then shared a spirited partnership for the ninth wicket, adding 75 runs in rapid time. When Langford reached a well made half century, it looked as if Somerset might pull off quite remarkable victory, but he was well caught in the deep by Jim Pressdee, and in the following over Doughty was dismissed to give Glamorgan a hard-earned victory by 10 runs. It had been a highly entertaining contest, as well as being a good way to launch the new competition, and after his all-round contributions with both bat and ball, Bernard Hedges deservedly won the Man-of-the-Match award.