1954 saw the end of Emrys Davies’ illustrious career with Glamorgan. It came in sudden and quite dramatic circumstances against Northamptonshire at Peterborough during the first week of July, and at a time when Frank Tyson was building up a reputation as one of the most hostile bowlers on the county circuit. Together with the good early season form of the Glamorgan spinners, the wicket of Peterborough had a green hue, and Tyson lived up to his nickname of ‘The Typhoon’ by bowling Emrys with a scorching delivery which beat the veteran for sheer pace and venom.
The 50 year-old duly made his way back to the pavilion and sat down amidst stony silence in the professionals changing room. With his colleagues looking on, Davies took off his gloves and cap, unbuckled his pads and then with tears welling up in his eyes, turned to Wilf Wooller – who had popped in from the amateur’s room to speak to the batsman about his dismissal – and said the fateful words ““Skipper, I think I’m finished, I didn’t even see that ball!”
Opposite – Emrys Davies leaves the field at St.Helen’s in Swansea. Photo Credit – Glamorgan Cricket Archives.
He never batted again in first-class cricket for Glamorgan with Wooller opening the batting in his place in the second inning. Without a ready-made replacement for Davies, Wooller remained at the top of the order for the next couple of years opening the batting, in tandem with Gilbert Parkhouse. For a man who had survived life as a POW in Changhi, it was no surprise that without flinching, he duly faced up to the fastest bowlers in the country including Tyson, who from a run-up of forty yards, and with a large drag, delivered the ball from about eighteen yards. One delivery hit Wooller a sickening blow under the heart and he staggered forward to rest on his haunches. The Northants fielders and Tyson himself gathered around to see if Wooller was Ok, but he looked up and snarled “Bugger off Tyson, You’re not fast enough to really hurt me!” Wooller then retook his guard and got right behind every ball as Tyson continued to bowl the ball a fraction short of a good length.
1954 was also the season Wooller finally achieved the Double – a feat which only two others subsequently achieved. A few of his critics said it was no surprise given the fact that he had chances to open both the batting and the bowling, but even they would not scoff at his tally of 1059 runs and 107 wickets, nor the way in August he duly reached the landmark to become the first (and only) amateur in the Club’s history to achieve the feat. Six weeks before he had strained his Achilles tendon during the match with Gloucestershire, and by mid-August, he was suffering so much discomfort that he had to walk down stairs backwards to prevent a searing pain going through his ankle. But with plenty of strapping on his damaged leg, he duly claimed his 100th wicket and scored his 1,000th run during the penultimate match of the season against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.
Allan Watkins also did the Double in all matches that summer, with his aggregate of 1640 runs and 103 wickets swollen by appearances at the Hastings and Torquay Festivals for an England XI against a Commonwealth XI, plus an appearance at the latter for the South against the North. Jim McConnon also topped the hundred wicket mark during 1954 which together with the growing maturity of others and few injuries of note were other factors behind Glamorgan’s decent form summer during a summer which saw them rise up into fourth spot in the Championship table.
After losing the curtain-raiser against Lancashire at Old Trafford, Glamorgan recorded a trio of handsome victories at home. Don Shepherd claimed a career-best 9/47 as Northants were overwhelmed by 262 runs at the Arms Park before Watkins struck a majestic 170 against Leicestershire at St, Helen’s as Glamorgan eased to a ten-wicket victory. This was followed in mid-June by a 73-run win over Warwickshire at Stradey Park with Bernard Hedges, the young batter from Pontypridd, and Gilbert Parkhouse each scoring centuries as they compiled what proved to be a match-winning stand of 219.
There were also some handsome victories away from home, with one of the finest taking place in early July at The Oval as Surrey were beaten by 110 runs. A Welsh victory had seemed unlikely on the first day as Tony Lock tore the heart out of the visitor’s batting with 8/36 as Glamorgan could only muster 95. But Wooller and Watkins led a tenacious fightback which restricted Surrey’s lead on first innings to just 31 runs, before Willie Jones and Jim Pleass watchfully applied themselves to leave the home side with a final day target of 249. McConnon then exploited a wearing wicket, taking 7/23 as Surrey were bundled out for 76.
Although Glamorgan recorded home and away victories over Somerset in back-to-back games in early August, the second half of the season saw a series of draws as visiting captains, aware of the good form of the Welsh batters, and their title aspirations, were less generous in their final day dealings over targets with Wooller. An innings defeat to Sussex at Eastbourne and a further defeat at Edgbaston ended any thoughts of a top three finish but the season ended on a high as a strong Derbyshire side were beaten by ten wickets at Chesterfield with Watkins taking 7/28 in a probing spell between lunch and tea to confirm his standing as one of the finest all-rounders in county cricket.