By the 1960s, Glamorgan match at Swansea over the August Bank Holiday had become one of the highlights of the Welsh sporting calendar with the games regarded by some of the tourists as the Sixth Test of the summer with the contests watched by enormous crowds, all wanting the men in the daffodil sweaters to win. Those present in the intimidating surroundings of St. Helen’s in August 1964 were able to share in a very special piece of Glamorgan’s history as they beat the Australian for the first-ever time.
Click here to read more about the Welsh county’s historic victory over the 1964 Australians
However, the victory over the Australians was the only high-spot for Glamorgan during 1964. Seven Championship matches were won, but the team ended up in 11th place in the table. They also won their opening two games in the Gillette Cup including a thrilling one-wicket win over Worcestershire at Rodney Parade, Newport thanks to a mighty six in the final over by Don Shepherd. After defeating Essex at Neath, they ventured to Old Trafford for the quarter-final but succumbed to Lancashire by six wickets.
It proved to be long summer for the diehard Glamorgan supporters but, at least, those at Stradey Park earlier in the summer had something to smile about, courtesy of a curious innings by Don Shepherd – normally a right-handed batsman – who went out to bat left-handed with Jeff Jones on the final morning of the Welsh county’s rain-affected match against Derbyshire at Llanelli. The first day of the contest had been entirely washed out, and just 36 overs had been possible on the second day so on the final morning, Ossie Wheatley and his opposite number Charlie Lee agreed to a couple of declarations and a run chase later in the afternoon.
Derbyshire duly declared on their overnight score before – in these days without a law to allow a forfeiture of innings – Glamorgan faced one ball with Shepherd scoring a single against Derek Morgan before declaring. Derbyshire duly made 90-8 before leaving Glamorgan a target of 135. They ended 45 runs short, with Shepherd having scored a single in his customary style and duly entering the record books as having identical scores in the match, but from different stances!