1935 saw Glamorgan rise up to 13th place in the Championship table, besides recording six victories. Their most dramatic win that summer came at the Arms Park in early July as they trounced Hampshire by ten wickets. It followed a world-record display of hitting by Cyril Smart who, during the final hour of play on the opening day, struck Gerry Hill, the visitors’ off-spinner, for 32 in an over. Four sixes were struck in an arc from long-off to deep square-leg, and there might have been a fifth had one blow not fallen inches inside the ropes at square-leg.
Opposite – Cyril Smart. Photo Credit – Glamorgan Cricket Archives.
This was the second time in the 1935 season at Cardiff that Smart hit the headlines with his batting as a month before, during the game against the South Africans, he had struck some withering blows during a record-breaking last wicket stand with a virtually unknown cricketer from Monmouthshire. The player concerned was Wilf Hughes, a seam bowler from Ebbw Vale who, after a brief taste of Minor County cricket, had trained as a science teacher and at the start of the 1935 season was working at a school in Northamptonshire.
Hughes had played in club cricket for Kettering and met with great success, so much so that when Glamorgan played at the town, Ben Bellamy, the long-serving wicket-keeper with the East Midlands side, told Maurice Turnbull about Hughes’ achievements. As a result, the young teacher was invited for a trial at the Arms Park in front of Messrs. Hitch, Turnbull and Clay. All were suitably impressed with what they saw and, after confirming his availability to play for Glamorgan during his school vacations, he was called up for the match with the Springboks over the Whitsun Bank Holiday.
He duly enjoyed a memorable first-class debut and all whilst Glamorgan were following-on. When play began on the final morning, just six wickets were remaining, and things did not improve as Turnbull departed inside the first hour. Despite some stubborn resistance from Smart, Glamorgan were 114-9 when he made his way to the middle. The clatter of wickets had prompted some spectators to leave, but how they must have wished they stayed as the debutant launched a blistering counter-attack on the Springbok bowling, and shared a record stand of 131 during a dramatic ninety-minute passage of play.
Right from the outset, Hughes counter-attacked and completely belied his inexperience by thrashing the bowling to all parts of the Cardiff ground. His rousing and uninhibited blows saw him complete his fifty inside three-quarters of an hour, and, as the fourth of his mighty sixes sailed out of the ground, Nomad of the Western Mail wrote ”Hughes dominated the game to such a degree that even the eager and enterprising Smart was overshadowed as the South African attack was cut to ribbons.”
Smart added to the fun by lofting one delivery high over the ropes, across Westgate Street and straight through a plate glass window in the foyer of the Grand Hotel. Shortly afterwards, he completed his century and, when lunch was taken, he was unbeaten on 114, with Hughes on 70 not out. The pair were given a rousing ovation as they headed off for lunch with many spectators hoping that Hughes would emulate his partner and complete a century on his first-class debut. But the players never got back onto the field as, shortly afterwards, it started to rain. The precipitation intensified during the early afternoon and, with large pools of standing water on the outfield, the umpires called off play with the game ending in a draw.
The first week of July saw the inaugural Championship match at the Rodney Parade ground in Newport, with the visit by Leicestershire seeing a series of celebratory functions, plus a civic reception after play on the Saturday night. On the Sunday, the visitors had a tour of the Wye Valley; some admired the scenery but most preferred the clear, fresh air as hangover tonic! After another round of sumptuous hospitality on the Monday evening, Glamorgan set the visitors a target of 394, but after all of their socialising it was no surprise that they fell well short as Glamorgan posted their first Championship win on Monmouthshire soil.
There were plenty of celebrations as well during the end of season match against Worcestershire at New Road as Emrys Davies completed the Double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets to become the Club’s first player to achieve this all-round feat. It came on the final day of the season and after rain had washed out much of the day’s play. With Davies on 99 wickets, he was champing at the bit, as was Worcestershire`s Frank Warne who needed 42 runs to reach a thousand for the first time in his career. As rain fell, the captains told the umpires they wanted to stay at the ground, even though there was no chance of a positive outcome to the contest.
Eventually the rain ceased and play began at 5.20 pm, with Glamorgan declaring their second innings at 4-2. Worcestershire had half an hour to bat with Warne promoted up the order and after some generous bowling and sympathetic fielding he duly reached his landmark. A couple of balls later, it was Glamorgan`s turn to celebrate as Emrys Davies bowled Peter Jackson, who attempted a rather ungainly slog. The umpires then called time and everyone headed off to the pavilion where there was plenty of champagne to toast these personal achievements.