With a rich seam of young home-grown talent emerging, it was important for Glamorgan to find the right man to take over the captaincy and further nurture these promising young colts. Their choice was Ossie Wheatley, a tall blond-haired fast-medium bowler, born in the north-east of England and educated at King Edward’s School, Birmingham prior to going up to Cambridge. His educational background and status as an amateur, with appearances under his belt for Warwickshire, made him a strong candidate in the first place, but it was his bowling prowess which tipped the balance in his favour.
Wheatley had won Blues at Cambridge in 1957 and 1958, amassing in the latter season a record 80 wickets in eighteen matches for the University.
At the time, the Light Blues could field a stronger team than many counties and their fixtures against county sides were also fiercely competitive so day in, day out from April until June, Wheatley and his fellow students played against the cream of county talent.
His jovial outlook was seen as another great asset, with many regarding Wheatley’s more relaxed style of leadership as a breath of fresh air compared to his predecessors more confrontational and brash style. However, he had Wooller’s full support as the former captain switched to full-time duties as Club Secretary with Wheatley becoming the first person from outside the Principality to lead the Welsh county on a regular basis.
But it was a difficult first year for the new captain, largely because of a spate of injuries with the first occurring before the season had even got underway with Tony Lewis sustaining a knee injury whilst playing for Cambridge University. The young batter missed the entire summer, whilst in early June, after further bouts of asthma and a stomach ailment, Allan Watkins announced his retirement. Shortly afterwards, Jim McConnon became the second man on the sidelines with a knee complaint and, at the end of the season, he also called time once and for all on his county career.
Fortunately, Bernard Hedges and Gilbert Parkhouse were in vintage form, with their sound batting helping Glamorgan to a five-wicket victory over Surrey at Ebbw Vale. The Welsh county completed the double in the closing game of the summer at The Oval where some penetrative bowling by Brian Evans and Peter Walker saw Glamorgan to a nine-wicket victory. Glamorgan also gave a good account of themselves in their matches against the Australians, firstly at Cardiff over the Whitsun Bank Holiday and later at Swansea during August.
The first game saw Jim Pressdee become the toast of Glamorgan Cricket as he became their first batter to score a century against the Australians. His century came as Glamorgan followed-on after sublime centuries from Neil Harvey and Norm O’Neill had seen the Australians amass another big first innings total before cheaply dismissing the home batsmen. But Pressdee stoutly defended throughout the final day, with his unbeaten 118, plus 70 from Parkhouse, helping to save the game.
The second game at Swansea saw another remarkable innings, but this time from a quite unlikely source as to the delight of a packed St. Helen’s, Don Shepherd equalled the world record for the fastest fifty in first-class cricket, racing to his half-century in just fifteen minutes, with eleven scoring strokes, and all whilst sporting a black eye having top-edged a ball trying to sweep Gloucestershire’s David Allen into his eye in the previous match at Pontypridd. In fact, the blow had sent him tumbling to the grass at Ynysangharad Park where he lay for a few seconds in a semi-conscious state.
In today’s game, there are protocols in place where players have to miss games on medical grounds, but it was a very different world back in 1961 and with the help of a few aspirins, Shepherd took his place in the team, despite having his eye still half-shut and played his part with the ball as the tourists were dismissed for 192. But the glee amongst the thousands who had thronged into the amphitheatre-like ground at Swansea soon disappeared on the second day as the Australians, suitably galvanized by excursions on the Gower during Sunday, reduced the Welsh county to 94-8. The architects of their sharp, and quite sudden, decline being leg-spinner Richie Benaud and slow left-armer Lindsay Kline, who each found plenty of assistance from the now quite dry and dusty wicket.
The clatter of wickets shocked the crowd into silence, but down the long flight of steps at the Swansea ground came the unlikely saviour of Glamorgan’s fortunes in the shape of Donald John Shepherd. In the blink of an eye ‘Shep’ was soon into double figures as the ball sped to, and over, the boundary ropes as the Glamorgan tail-ender unleashed some furious blows. With his partner David Evans reduced to a watching brief at the other end, ‘Shep’ raced to his fifty with six massive sixes, three each off each spinner, plus three other fours, a quickly scampered two and a hastily run single – to equal the world record.
His rousing efforts lifted the spirits of the home supporters, and the Glamorgan team alike, with Glamorgan ending just 43 runs in arrears. Despite a fine century from Bobby Simpson, the Welsh batters were able to save the game, as a downpour washed out play. Glamorgan’s spirited fightback, inspired by Shepherd’s feat, had been a moral victory for Ossie Wheatley and his men as the Australians left the damp and deserted Swansea ground thinking what might have been, had it not been for his remarkable innings.