Tragedy struck Glamorgan Cricket, and Trevor Every in particular, early in the 1934 season as the Welsh county’s doughty wicket-keeper lost both his place in the 1st XI and his eyesight. He had experienced a few difficulties seeing the ball whilst batting in the outdoor nets at the Arms Park, and during the opening match of the season, against Kent at Cardiff, he frequently did not see the ball coming in from the fielders, besides missing several balls whilst standing up to the bowlers. After being bowled for nought, Every sought the advice of Maurice Turnbull at the close of play. The Glamorgan captain swiftly arranged for Every to have an appointment with an eye specialist at Cardiff Infirmary where the doctor undertook several tests on the wicket-keeper’s eyes, and then told the 24 year-old the devastating news – “Sorry son – you`re going blind.”
The ophthalmic specialist explained that Every’s optic nerve was swiftly deteriorating and that there was nothing from a medical point of view which could be done. The following morning, the Glamorgan captain gathered the players together in the Arms Park pavilion and quietly told them about their friend. Every took no further part in the game, and was simply recorded as “absent” in the scorebook when Glamorgan batted for a second time. Within a few weeks of the diagnosis, he was completely blind and, after a fund-raising campaign on his behalf, he began training as a stenographer.
Fortunately, Tom Brierley, the Southampton-born batter, had experience behind the stumps in club cricket in Lancashire and he took over the gloves for much of the summer. Brierley was a talented all-round sportsman having played football to a high level, as well as lacrosse in Canada where he spent many winters coaching and teaching. Indeed, during July and August 1932, whilst qualifying by residence to play for the Welsh county, he had been given three weeks leave in order to appear for Canada in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles where lacrosse was one of the demonstration sports. Playing in front of 75,000 people at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was a very different experience for Brierley than appearing in front of a few hundred supporters at the Arms Park, but how he wished during 1934 and beyond that Every was still able to play alongside him and that only through the cruellest of misfortune, he had become Glamorgan’s regular wicket-keeper.
Glamorgan were also without Dai Davies for much of the season after he had been rushed to hospital on the second day of the match against Kent at Gravesend having suffered a haemorrhage from a stomach ulcer. Johnnie Clay also suffered a leg strain and missed several games whilst Dick Duckfield and Maurice Turnbull were injured in the contest at Lord’s. Indeed, the injury list was so long that for the match against Gloucestershire at the Arms Park, 51 year-old Norman Riches was recalled.
In all, there were thirteen debutants during 1934 including Oxford undergraduate Tony Duncan who subsequently won fame on the golf courses of the UK, as well as local footballers Ernie Carless and David Blackmore who agreed terms with the Club to play on a match-by-match basis before the start of the new soccer season.
Cyril Smart, who had joined Glamorgan in 1927 after a spell with Warwickshire and a series run-laden summers with Briton Ferry Town CC, also enjoyed his most productive summer with the Welsh county, whilst a number of talented amateurs from the local leagues, including Pontardawe’s John Roberts, Briton Ferry’s Closs Jones, Swansea’s Aubrey Davies and the Barry pair of Gwilym Went and Harry Dickinson also made their Championship debuts.
The presence of these local lads helped to boost the Welsh identity and confirmed to the Glamorgan officials that a pool of talent existed in the Leagues. To further develop the home-grown talent an approach was made to Bill Hitch, the former England and Surrey bowler, to act as the Club’s new coach.
At the behest of Johnnie Clay, discussions also resumed with the officials from Monmouthshire who had previously wanted to continue in their own name in the Minor County competition with Glamorgan covering their finances and paying off their overdraft. By the early 1930s, their own financial position had further deteriorated, allowing Clay to broker a deal that was very much to the benefit of Glamorgan. An agreement was reached on 4th July 1934 whereby Glamorgan would enter a 2nd XI in their name in the Minor County competition from 1935, besides tapping into their pool of young talent and staging first-class matches at grounds in Monmouthshire.
The worries about the additional costs of running a 2nd XI were eased as a result of a successful membership campaign as well as another lucrative match with the 1934 Australians at Swansea. Over £1,000 was accrued through gate receipts although, once again, Turnbull had to craftily manipulate his bowlers so that Don Bradman, who was batting on the second evening, remained unbeaten so that, as had happened on their visit in 1930, yet another bumper crowd came to St. Helen’s the following morning!
Opposite – one of the newspaper adverts promoting membership of Glamorgan Cricket. Image Credit – Glamorgan Cricket Archives.
