Frank Ryan was one of the most colourful and charismatic characters ever to walk onto a cricket field. An extrovert with a larger than life personality, his exploits had they occurred in the modern era would have dominated social media and filled column after column in tabloid newspapers. Whilst some questioned Frank’s tenacity when put under pressure, or when things were not going his way, few doubted his skills as a spinner and in 1927 his clever bowling, together with that of Jack Mercer, produced one of the greatest-ever upsets in county cricket as, in their end-of-season encounter at Swansea, bottom of the table Glamorgan unexpectedly trounced Nottinghamshire to prevent the East Midlands side from winning the County Championship.
Photo Credit – Glamorgan Cricket Archives.
The visitors had arrived at St. Helen’s with the county title virtually in their grasp and, with the East Midlands side only needing to draw with a team still seeking their first win of the summer, plans had already been set in motion for a civic reception in Nottingham to celebrate their title-winning season. But Glamorgan turned the formbook upside down and by mid-afternoon on the first day, Frank had claimed five wickets, as Nottinghamshire were dismissed for 233. Glamorgan’s batsmen then garnered a lead of 142 runs leaving the visitors with the task of batting throughout the final day to secure the title.
But Jack Mercer claimed six wickets in their second innings, whilst at the other end, Frank tricked and teased the visiting batsmen with his subtle spin, as seemingly every false stroke brought a wicket. The net result was a steady procession of batsmen back to the Swansea pavilion, with each walking off in a state of disbelief, realising that their dream was turning into a nightmare. Indeed, there are tales that one of the Nottinghamshire tailenders sat on the pavilion balcony with tears flooding down his cheeks as his team-mates returned at regular intervals.
Frank was born in India where his Irish-born father – Michael Joseph Bonaventure Ryan – had worked as an engineer on the Indian railway following the posting of Frank’s paternal grandfather, who served in the British Army, to the sub-continent. His maternal grandfather, after whom Frank was named, was the son of the Chief of the Clan Macleod of Raasay, an island between the Scottish mainland and the Isle of Skye.
During the early 1900s, Frank moved to the UK to live in West Hampstead where his mother had relatives. He duly attended Bedford Grammar School where his love of cricket, based on his formative years in India, was soon to the fore. As a young boy he had reveled in bowling against whatever targets were available, and if no balls were present, he would pick up stones and bowl these instead. His accurate left-arm spin bowling duly won him a place in the School’s 1st XI, as well as invites to the nets at Lord’s and The Oval. Indeed, one year, he had the distinction of clean bowling CB Fry prior to the start of the Champion County match. In 1907 he also took 9/36 for the school against I Zingari and was approached by Gloucestershire.
However, Frank turned his back on cricket and served an apprenticeship as an engineer in Glasgow before working as an engineer on a steamship. According to his descendants, Frank got rather bored by life at sea and jumped ship in New York, where he subsequently worked as a steam engineer in one of the plush hotels. The outbreak of the Great War changed things and in 1915 he told his colleagues that he was going home to join up. Apparently, one said “But Frank you may be killed”, to which he replied “But I have to do my bit for my country.”
Opposite – Young Frank. Photo Credit – The Ryan family.
He initially enlisted with the Army during June 1915, but became an aircraft mechanic with the Royal Flying Corps during 1916. He was based initially at Farnborough and whilst at the Hampshire airbase, Frank also met his future wife. He also served as a spotter and took part in a series of aerial battles with the German pilots. He was later stationed at Aldershot where Frank was befriended by Kent’s Colin Blythe who encouraged him to take up cricket. Frank won a place in the Aldershot Services team and, during the match against The Guards Brigade, his potent spin bowling impressed the Hon. Lionel Tennyson, the Hampshire captain, who told Frank to contact him when the War was over. During 1919 Frank duly made contact with Tennyson and three days after being demobilized, he made his first-class debut for Hampshire against Sussex at Brighton in mid-June.
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