Few could have anticipated what horrors lay ahead as Glamorgan began the 1939 season with a rain-affected draw at Trent Bridge followed by a successful run-chase against Essex at Ilford. This was the first of six Championship victories, with a seventh victory coming at the Arms Park over the Whitsun Bank Holiday as the West Indians were defeated by 73 runs.
Wilf Wooller played a major hand in the victory, firstly posting his maiden hundred for the county, unfurling some ferocious drives, powerful hooks, and more delicate cuts. Wooller also starred with the ball on the final afternoon as he took 5/69 to seal the win and led the team off the field to tumultuous applause from what seemed like the entire population of the capital city.
The match against the Caribbean tourists also saw a hostile spell from the well-travelled Peter Judge, the former Middlesex seamer who joined the staff and later in the season, he also delivered a series of probing spells in tandem with Allan Watkins, a talented all-rounder from Usk who had graduated from the Club’s 2nd XI. Jack Mercer was now in semi-retirement and, although he passed the 50-wicket mark, his greatest impact in 1939 came with the bat at Cardiff in the match with Worcestershire as he struck Dick Howorth for 31 in an over with his tally including four sixes.
1939 also proved to be another record-breaking summer for Emrys Davies as during the game against Gloucestershire at Newport, he scored an unbeaten 287 – an innings which stood as the Club’s highest for 61 years. Had circumstances or, more particularly, the attitude of Gloucestershire captain Wally Hammond been less churlish, Davies might have recorded a triple-hundred himself. Hammond had already completed an unbeaten 302 in Gloucestershire’s first innings and, with a sizeable cash prize for the batsman who made the highest score of the summer, it was not just the home supporters and the Glamorgan team who were keeping a close eye on the Rodney Parade scoreboard.
To the disgust of the home side, Hammond deliberately slowed down proceedings and posted a series of fielders near the boundary ropes as the weary Welshman tried in vain to strike some boundaries during the closing overs. When the umpires called time, there was also a rather frosty and brief exchange of words between Hammond and Turnbull, with the terse conversation between England captain and Test Selector not being lost on the occupants of the Press Tent.
Turnbull was also upset the following week when Glamorgan played again at Rodney Parade, with the actions of the Somerset batsmen incurring his wrath. The visitors occupied the crease until almost lunch on the second day, with their slow-scoring provoking frequent jeers from the crowd of 4,000. As the players returned to the Newport pavilion, Turnbull told his opposite number that he would keep the Somerset team in the field for the rest of the game.
The Glamorgan captain duly kept his word as his side amassed 574-7 and Dai Davies became another double centurion. With the full blessing of Turnbull, Davies took the opportunity to show sympathy with striking coal-miners in Bedwas and before going out to bat on the final morning, Dai told Emrys to wave to him from the changing rooms if he heard that the miners protest was over. News duly came through shortly before 6 p.m. and after the signal from his close friend, Dai went down the wicket and was stumped for a career-best 216.
It proved to be fine summer for the Davies’ as during the summer, Emrys and his opening partner Arnold Dyson shared their 25th century partnerships. At a time when the selectors were weighing up the merits of other batting all-rounders, Emrys’ name met with favour amongst the selectors and he was included in the provisional squad for the tour to India and Ceylon during the winter of 1939/40, with Turnbull being delighted to tell his colleague about his imminent selection.
Fate though was to play a very cruel hand for both men. In Emrys’ case the escalating situation in Western Europe following the Nazi invasion of Poland led to the tour being cancelled, thereby depriving him of a chance to emulate his friend’s achievements of playing for England. But whereas he went on to officiate in Test Matches, the subsequent War with Germany marked both the end of Turnbull’s career with Glamorgan and his life, with Maurice’s final match, against Leicestershire, seeing the Glamorgan captain score 156.