Explore every episode of the podcast Museum of Welsh Cricket Podcast
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Title
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Playing for Glamorgan, Living with Sarcoidosis: An Interview with Steve Barwick
We begin by talking about his early years playing for Briton Ferry Town and Alan Lewis Jones who introduced him to Glamorgan and the then coach Tom Cartwright. He talks about Tom and how he built his strength up as a bowler.
He talks about his debut for Glamorgan against Sussex at Hove and his first season in 1981.
We talk about some of the international players who played county cricket at the time and some of the bowlers he remembers playing with.
Steve mentions Garth Le Roux as the most difficult batsman he had to bowl against. We also talk about his career best figures of 8 for 42 which he took against Worcester at New Road. You can see the scorecard here:
Steve talks about how proud he was to receive his County Cap.
Basil then tells me how he got the nickname!
Steve then describes his experiences as a sufferer of sarcoidosis. He describes the symptoms and the impact the illness has had on his life. You can read more about it here:
https://www.sarcoidosisuk.org/
Steve talks about how he changed his bowling to predominantly off cutters and how he went about his craft. He then goes on to how Glamorgan planned to win matches in the period in the early 90s. We talk about the impact Viv Richards' arrival at the club and the Axa Equity and Law victory in 1993. Steve recalls the final game at Canterbury and what a fantastic day it was.
Steve tells the story of how Ian Botham turned up at this mother and fathers wedding anniversary party.
We finish by talking about Steve's love for the game, how he continued to play cricket after his first class career and what the game has meant to him.
Haverfordwest Cricket Club: 200 Years Old and Counting (Part 2)
In this, the second part of our chat with current and ex players and officials we meet Henderson Springer. You can read a little bit about Hendy and his connections with Haverfordwest and the cricket club here:
First, we hear my questions to Hendy. He talks about his first impressions of the club and the town, his estimation of the team and what made it successful in the period he was with it. He talks about how he felt coming to the club as a paid professional and a little bit about his approach to coaching.
He tells the story about a lady called Mary Field who's conversation with him is something that has stayed with him throughout his coaching career.
He also gives a message to the club and its members about everyone pitching in to keep the club going for another two hundred years !
The second part of the episode is club members talking about Henderson arriving at the club and their memories of him, both on and off the field!
The final part of the episode is the club members talking about their favourite grounds, both within and outside Pembrokeshire, their connections with the wider game in Wales, including the relationship with Glamorgan and Welsh Fire and the impact of women and girls cricket on the club.
Finally, we hear some favourite stories about the club and its players and memories of a loved ex member of the club, Steve James.
Very sadly, Henderson's mother was taken into hospital on the day of our conversation. She has, since, passed away.
This episode of the podcast is dedicated to her memory and to the memory of Steve James.
Anyone interested in attending one of the remaining functions celebrating the club's bicentenary can find the details via the club's Facebook Page.
Professor Michael Wilson: Oral histories (Tale-Enders and Taking the Field)
In this episode we speak to Professor Mike Wilson of Loughborough University about his work in the area of oral history and the two cricketing projects with which he was associated, Tale-Enders and Taking the field. Mike is currently Professor of Drama and Head of Creative Arts at Loughborough.
Tale-Enders was a project he was involved with alongside Andrew Hignell of the Museum of Welsh Cricket and coincided with plans for the new stadium at Sophia Gardens in the run up to the Ashes series of 2009. At that time, Mike was Head of Research at the Cardiff School of Creative and Cultural Industries, University of Glamorgan which is now the University of South Wales in Pontypridd. Mike describes the origins of the project, his memories of working on it and some of the stories about welsh cricket clubs it uncovered.
Taking the Field was a project inspired by the Tale Enders Project and was organised under the auspices of the MCC. It expanded on the concepts explored by Tale Enders and, as it happened, assisted members of Blaina Cricket Club tell the story of their club.
In addition to talking about these projects, Mike tells us about his academic journey, his discovery of oral history and one or two of the key figures that have informed his development as someone interested in the power of stories for exploring history.
For those interested in Tale Enders, you can find the Flickr page which was used by the project by clicking on the link below. Be prepared to see some famous English cricketers as well as members of the Glamorgan CCC Team from days gone by. In addition, there are many photos taken of club grounds and club and country cricket in Wales from the early 20th century. Unfortunately, the photos are not labelled but the experience of looking at them is no less enjoyable for that:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tale-enders/
For those interested in the Taking the Field project there will be a follow up episode of the podcast featuring original audio recordings from the project with members of Blaina Cricket Club as well as an interview with Project Worker Emma Peplow and member of Blaina CC, Alan Williams.
David currently lives in Cheltenham but he tells us the story of how his Dad and wider family introduced him to the game of cricket and how his love of that led him into a lifelong relationship with Glamorgan County Cricket Club.
He was an avid collector and kept scrapbooks full of paper cuttings about his favourite players as well as the England team. It was one these scrapbooks that encouraged him to write his first book about cricket, 'In the Shadow of Packer'. Published by Pitch in 2016 the book tells the story of England's Winter Tour to Pakistan and New Zealand in 1977/78.
David talks to us about his upbringing and writing that first book. He has become a consistently interesting writer about the game, self publishing a number of further books, monographs and pamphlets. They have covered some of the perhaps less well known teams and individuals and have included works on the Pakistan Eaglets who were regular visitors to the UK in the 1950s and 1960s as well as pieces about Gilbert Jessop, William Woof and a forthcoming publication on ex Glamorgan and Western Province all rounder Peter Swart.
David's enthusiasm for the game remains and his commitment to writing about it has delivered some lovely gems about our cricketing past. If you want to keep up to speed with David's output you can follow him on Twitter (@BattersbyDave) or email him directly:
dave@talbot.force9.co.uk
We hope you enjoy spending 30 minutes or so in the company of an avid fan whose writing reflects a deep love of the game of cricket.
In 1977 Mike llewellyn almost became one of the few players in cricket history to strike a ball over the tall and imposing Pavillion at Lords.
His feat came during the Gillette Cup Final against Middlesex, with the aggressive left hander having started his innings with two fours and a six off Mike Gatting. Then came his enormous blow, off the bowling of England off spinner John Emburey, as Mike hit a ball into the gutter on the roof of the famous building.
We talk to him about his childhood in Clydach, his experiences on the ground staff at Lords and his playing career with Glamorgan.
We also hear about Mike's transition to being a businessman in the years after finishing in the first class game.
There are lots of laughs (mainly form Mike!) along the way as he gives us a flavour of what it was like being a county cricketer in the 70s and 80s.
We talk to Criced Cymru / Cricket Wales community coach for Pembrokeshire Rick Walton. Awarded the ECB community coach of the year award in 2015, Rick is a committed and well loved cricket coach who spends his working life converting as many young people as he can to the joys of the game of cricket.
In our interview he talks about his sporting family, including a grandfather who played for Manchester United, and his early years growing up in Grimsby. We talk about how he discovered cricket when his own son wanted to get involved at Haverfordwest Cricket Club and how he has never looked back.
Rick is a thinker not only about cricket but sport and wider associated and unassociated issues! We talk about his writing of blogs, his involvement in watching the England International womens team and his own 'journal' which he hopes will be published as a book soon.
An enjoyable half hour chat with someone at the coalface of cricket conversion.
If you would like to read a little bit of Rick's writing you can find it here:
https://cricketmanwales.com/ for his writing on sport and cricket in particular or
https://bowlingatvincent.com/ for his views on a broader canvus.
Anyone interested in booking Rick to come to their school / cricket club can contact him at:
rick.walton@cricketwales.org.uk
Cricket on Canvas - with Jack Russell & Malcolm Murphy
We talk to Jack Russell. The Gloucestershire and England wicketkeeper played in 54 Tests and played in 465 first class games for his county in a 23 year career that saw him make nearly 18,000 runs and take nearly 2,000 catches behind the stumps.
However, Jack has now had a longer career as a professional painter than he had as a cricketer. His paintings hang in public and private collections worldwide, from the Tower of London to The Bradman Museum in Bowral Australia. Sittings for his portrait paintings have included HRH Duke of Edinburgh, HRH Duke of Kent, ten Field Marshals of the British Army, Sir Norman Wisdom, Eric Sykes, and Eric Clapton. Sporting icons include Sir Bobby Charlton, Dickie Bird and Phil Taylor.
He talks to us about how he began painting, who were his inspirations as a painter, the process of painting and what still motivates him to paint. If you want to take a look at his many paintings and sketches, go to:
Malcolm Murphy has been a native of South Wales for many years and currently lives in Splott, Cardiff. He talks to us about his long journey from the Hip Hop movement of his childood, his addiction to spray painting which eventually brought him into trouble with the police, his career as a professional signwriter and Fairground Artist and the development of his fine art.
Malcolm has painted Sophia Gardens twice in recent years and one of these still hangs in one of the rooms at Sophia Gardens.
To see some of Malcolm's wonderful paintings of Cardiff street scenes and his other work, head to:
We hope you enjoy listening to two painters and how they approach their painting.
Don't forget, we are always on the look out for stories about the great game of cricket in the great county of Wales. You can contact us via our Twitter feed (@welshcricketpod), our Facebook page (CC4 Museum of Welsh Cricket) and by emailing us on:
Brothers Steve and Jeff Watkin talk about the recent history of the club and their involvement in it, stopping off to mention the long history of the club along the way.
Steve who, of course, went on to play first class cricket with Glamorgan and appear in three Test matches and four One Day Internationals for England talks about his early career with the club and those that influenced his early career.
Jeff tells us about the successes of the club in recent times and their plans, Coronavirus restrictions willing, for celebrating their incredible 175 year history.
Along the way we hear about the first switch hitter that Steve Watkin ever saw and the best sporting star in the Watkin family (which is neither Jeff or Steve)
I've got a stat for you - An interview with author Andrew Edwards
Andrew was born in 1984. At the age of four, in April 1989, he was diagnosed with autism.
“Go home and watch Rain Man,” the specialist told his mother. “In all probability your son will be institutionalised.”
Determined to prove the specialist wrong, his mother, Hazel Davies, set out to give her son the best life possible.
Raised in a single parent household and encountering bureaucracy, bullying and a lack of understanding from many he came across, Andrew emerged from a turbulent childhood to win a Welsh National Young Volunteer Award and secure his dream job as a Broadcast Statistician at Manchester United Television.
After leaving MUTV after eleven and a half years in April 2014, he secured a book deal with Bennion Kearny Publishing to write his memoir entitled “I’ve Got a Stat for You - My Life with Autism”. This was following an interview on his life with Welsh broadcaster John Humphrys on BBC Radio Four’s flagship Today Programme.
Andrew talks about his experiences including his time watching, following and playing cricket at Chirk Cricket Club.
Sadly, Andrew's mother passed away shortly before Christmas 2020. This episode is dedicated to her memory.
In 1995 the first all black South African cricket side came on a history making tour of the UK. With the assistance of local MP and anti apartheid campaigner Peter Hain, the Soweto Cricket Club came to Ynysygerwn early in July of that year.
We talk to Peter about growing up in South Africa, his campaign to stop the South African rugby and cricket teams from touring in Britain and his latest book, co written with historian Andre Odendaal. He reflects on how symbolically important the Tour and game at Ynys were.
We talk to Gordon Templeton, one of the black cricketers on that Tour and his memories of the day as well as Khaya Majola the black South African cricketer who did so much for multi-racial cricket in his country.
We also talk to four of the Ynysygerwn team who played against Soweto. Steve Williams, Huw Jenkins, Neil Davies and Mike Haswell reflect on their careers and the importance of cricket in their lives.
Cricketing Lives - An interview with author Richard H. Thomas
We interview Welsh academicRichard H. Thomas about his forthcoming book 'Cricketing Lives: A Characterful History from Pitch to Page. Richard takes us on a personal odyssey from the origins of cricket to the modern day, stopping off at the places and people most cricket lovers will recognise as the pillars of the game. W.G Grace, Don Bradman, Bodyline, The Ashes, Ian Botham, women's cricketer Sarah Taylor, the IPL and even cricket under Coronavirus.
The book is the fulfilling of an earnest promise made by Richard to his father but it is far more than an affectionate tribute. Liberally laced with good humour and excellent research it is an attempt to attract new lovers of the game as well as entertain those who already love it.
Glamorgan Go First Class - Special Centenary Celebration Episode
On 18th February 1921 the MCC approved the application of Glamorgan County Cricket Club to become the 17th County to play first class cricket in the County Championship. We hear the bacground about the development of Wales in the latter part of the 19th and beginning of the 20th Century from Professor of Modern History at Swansea University, Martin Johnes.
After he outlines the role sport played in Wales' acquisition of a more powerful national identity Dr Andrew Hignell, historian of Welsh Cricket, outlines the key moments and individuals that shaped Glamorgan's journey to first class status.
We hear about the co- founder of Glamorgan County Cricket Club, J.T.D Llewellyn, one of its early captains Jack Brain and the man credited with making the final approaches to other counties that paved the way for Glamorgan, T.A.L Whittington.
This is the first of what will be a number of special episodes celebrating the centenary of first class cricket in Wales.
We interview Mike Knight who, with his brother Dave, recieved a British Empire Medal in the New Years Honours list. He talks to us about the illustrious history of Newport Cricket Club and its old ground at Rodney Parade. We hear how W G Grace and Wally Hammond played at the ground as well as its original links in the 19th Century with the local Athletic Club. Mike shares his stories of putting together a comprehensive history of cricket at Rodney Parade and how important the history of a club is to all that are involved with it.
The Last of the Gentlemen: An Interview with Ossie Wheatley (Part 2)
We begin this episode of the podcast by talking about Ossie's best first class bowling figures, quickly moving on to his nickname.
We talk about the nature of County cricket in the era that Ossie played including the extensive travelling that players had to undertake during a first class season.
Tony Lewis was heir apparent to the captaincy. Ossie talks about him before we launch into his memories of the 1969 Championship winning season. As well as his exploits Ossie provides us with a pen picture of the 13 man squad that brought the trophy back to Wales for the second time.
Ossie felt the record he held at Cambridge University, taking 80 wickets in a season was one of his outstanding achievements. He then talks about some of his memories of the period in which he played including PeterMay, Fred Trueman, Brian Statham and Frank Tyson. Ossie talks with pride about his economy rate in first class cricket and how, for him, putting pressure on batsmen is a key element to bowling which he feels has been taken out of the modern game.
We talk about what he regards as his best performance on a cricket field and the performances of others that made an impact on him. Ossie talks about the changes in cricket equipment that have impacted on the game.
He finishes with his final reflections on his playing career and the nature of the professional game.
Y sylwebydd chwaraeon a chyn-ddyfarnwr rygbi Alun Wyn Bevan yw ein gwestai arbennig ar y podlediad yr wythnos hon. Ymunwch â ni i glywed pa dri chricedwr fyddai’n eu gwahodd draw am ginio, a pha gaeau yng Nghymru yw ei hoff lefydd i wylio criced.
(Welsh language interview with sports commentator and former rugby referee Alun Wyn Bevan about Brynaman Cricket Club, Alun’s favourite grounds and three of Glamorgan’s greats)
In this episode we talk to Dr Andrew Hignell about Alfred Holsinger, A Sri Lankan cricketer who plied his trade in Edwardian England and Wales as well as a chat with Janaka Ranweera, uncle of current Sri Lankan Test cricketer Lasith Embuldeniya.
We talk to Pontypridd Librarian Edwina Smart about meeting Sri Lankan spin bowler Lasith Embuldeniya as well as her charitable work in the country in the wake of 2004's Tsunami. We also hear from Foundation of Goodness founder Kushil Gunasekera about his work and the Foundations links with, and promotion of, cricket in rural Sri Lanka.
In our first episode of 2021, Paul Edwards of Panteg Cricket Club talks to us about its history and his love of the game. With 2021 being the 100th Anniversaty of first-class cricket in Wales we speculate on what might be in store for us as we move towards an historical season for Glamorgan.
Starting back in July there have been 15 episodes of the podcast so far. Stephen Hedges and Jan Gray, two of the podcast interviewers, look back at some of the highlights and discuss what they hope the podcast has achieved so far. Listen to interview clips from Glamorgan's Prem Sisodiya and Kent and England's Zak Crawley.
Hear club cricketers Tony Hallett (Pontypridd), Mike Rowlands (Gowerton), Riaz Anwar (Albany CC and others), scorer Jayne Cole (Haverfordwest) and Chris Margetts and Cian Davies of the Wales Disability Cricket Team talk about their cricketing experiences.
Also, hear a view of the broadcasting bloopers that have come with recording the podcasts.
Finally, Mark Drakeford, Carwyn Jones and Vaughan Gething point towards the return of cricket to Wales and a better sporting future.
The podcast team of Stephen, Jan and Alun Rhys Chivers along with all those who work for and on behalf of the CC4 Museum of Welsh Cricket would like to wish all listeners to the podcast as well as all recreational cricketers and their clubs a very Happy New Year. We look forward to exploring the history of the great game of cricket in the great country of Wales in 2021 and celebrating 100 years in the first-class game of Glamorgan County Cricket Club.
Taith i'r gogledd sydd gyda ni i chi ar y podlediad yr wythnos hon, gyda Gareth Lanagan o @Dolgellaucc, sydd newydd ddod yn aelod o Fwrdd @CricketWales, a Jason Parry a Grant Peisley, dau aelod blaenllaw o @criccaernarfon
(A Welsh language episode looking at two clubs in the north, Caernarfon and Dolgellau)
Jan Gray talks to Fraser Watson of Llanrhian Cricket Club and learns about the trials and tribulations of the most westerly cricket club on the UK mainland.
Also, hear the second part of Dr Andrew Hignell's interview about cricket scoring.
We interview Sam Rossiter and Megan Arthur, both players in the league and hear a little bit about its history and development, how they got into playing cricket and their hopes for the future of the league.
An added bonus this week is another in our feature Curator's Corner. This week, Dr Andrew Hignell gives us a potted history of scoring and talks about previous Glamorgan scorers Jack Mercer and Byron Denning. This is the first part of this interview. The second will come in our next episode.
For more information about the Pembrokeshire Ladies Cricket League you can find them on Facebook at Pembrokeshire Ladies Cricket, on Twitter @pembcrickladies and via the Pembroke County Cricket Club website (http://www.pembrokecountycc.co.uk).
Jeff Evans, y dyfarnwr o Drefach yn Sir Gaerfyrddin, fydd y gwestai arbennig yr wythnos hon. Mae’r Cymro Cymraeg newydd ymddeol o ddyfarnu ar lefel dosbarth cyntaf y siroedd ar ôl gyrfa sydd wedi para ugain mlynedd ac sydd wedi mynd â fe o'i filltir sgwâr i bedwar ban byd.
Cawn glywed sut y dechreuodd ei ddiddordeb mewn criced, ei atgofion o’i gyfnod yn dyfarnu yn y gêm broffesiynol, ei gynlluniau ar gyfer y dyfodol wrth ddychwelyd i griced ar lawr gwlad, a’i gyngor i unrhyw un sydd am ddilyn gyrfa fel dyfarnwr.
(A Welsh language interview with retired first-class umpire Jeff Evans about his career, his native Carmarthenshire and a recent charity walk).
The Last of the Gentlemen: An Interview with Ossie Wheatley (Part 1)
We talk to Ossie Wheatley of Cambridge University, Warwickshire and Glamorgan. He won a Blue for cricket at Cambridge University in 1957 and in 1958 when he amassed a record 80 wickets for the University. After coming down he had a brief but succesful career with Warwickshire for whom he took 110 wickets in 1960. In 1961 he was appointed captain of Glamorgan CCC as a replacement for the retiring Wilf Wooller and over the next few years he developed a wonderful bowling partnership with Jeff Jones.
His fast medium bowling added a new dimension to the Glamorgan attack and in 1968 he took 82 wickets at just 12 a piece. He was named as one of Wisden's Five Cricketers of the Year in 1969.
In this episode he talks about his early life, his cricketing development at school and then University, his move to Glamorgan in 1961, the club's development in the early years of his captaincy and the wonderful victory over the touring Australians in 1964.
You can read the text of a wonderful interview between Ossie and Richard Bentley of the St Helen's Balconiers about that game here:
Jan Gray interviews Jayne Cole who has been a scorer with Haverfordwest Cricket Club for nearly 40 years.
She talks about how she started, some amaazing games that she has witnessed and the enjoyment she gets from scoring.
Along the way she reflects on what she likes about being a scorer and ecourages others to join her in one way to get involved with the local cricket club.
The Podcasts Jan Gray talks to Zak Crawley of Kent and England and Kiran Carlson of Glamorgan about how they found their way to being a professional cricketer and gets their advice for all those aspiring to play in the first class game.
He also examines the Welsh process of talent development with Glamorgan's Head of Talent Development Richard Almond and Cricket Wales' Head of the Talent Pathway Matt Thompson.
This is a comprehensive view of how young cricketing talent develops and is nurtured. It will be a valuable listen for all young players and club coaches but will also be of interest to all those with an interest in the development of cricket in Wales.
It will be followed with a future episode on coaching and development as it used to be.
The Podcast interviews Robin Varley, cricketer, club official and administrator about his book, 'All That Could Be Desired - The History of Cricket in Aberystwyth 1830 to 1997'. Robin talks about famous local cricketers, famous families and names of the past who were significant in the development of the game there AND about his own not insignificant contribution to cricket in Aberystwyth.
This is followed by an interview with Dr Andrew Hignell of the CC4 Museum of Welsh Cricket who outlines the contributory factors in the development of cricket in different parts of Wales.
Current First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, his predecessor, Carwyn Jones and Minister for Health and Social Services Vaughan Gething share their memories and thoughts about the game of cricket.
There is talk of great players, great matches and what is it about cricket that is so special.
There are also stories of Glamorgan cricketers staying over at the Gething's house in Zambia, Mark Drakefords grandfather falling asleep at Lords and Carwyn's love for King Viv.
Tony Peters and Tony Davies are two of the volunteers who help out at the CC4 Museum of Welsh Cricket. Under the watchful eye of Chief Archivist Andrew Hignell they have busied themselves with cataloguing items for the museum as well as assisting with its journey towards accrditation as a museum.
Thay talk about their experiences and some of the great cricketing stories they have discovered along the way including a lovely one about Tony Davies' father, Haydn, Glamorgan wicketkeeping star of the 1948 Championship winning side and his 500th victim in first class cricket . . . oh, and chocolate cake at Lords gets a mention as well!
Hear Asian club cricketers Riaz Anwar and Mohammed Rafhan talk about their involvement in club cricket in Cardiff in the 1970s and also hear the story of Imran Hassan, a talented schoolboy cricketer who was denied a first contract with Glamorgan because he did not have British nationality and who ended up giving up on his dream of becoming a professional cricketer.
We hear Richard Hill of the ECB outline the history of disability cricket and its current set up.
Leshia Hawkins and Les Randall of Cricket Wales talk about the past achievements and present goals of those organising the game in the principality.
We hear from two of the Wales Disability Cricket Team Squad who visited Sri Lanka last year. Cian Davies and Chris Margetts talk openly about their disability and their reasons for enjoying cricket as a sport.
Prem Sisodiya: Glamorgan's first ever Welsh born Asian cricketer
Prem talks with museum volunteer Jan Gray about his childhood, getting into cricket and being a role model for other aspiring young Asian cricketers.
We discuss the impact of three world class Pakistani cricketers on the Glamorgan scene: Majid Khan, Javed Miandad and Waqar Younis.
In our 'My club, Our story' feature, three of the Gowerton Cricket Club team that won the Village Cup at Lords in 1975 join us to talk about their memories of the day.
Pontypridd Crcicket Club is in its 150th year. Local Librarian Edwina Smart guides us through a potted look at its history. Ex players Roy Hope and Tony Hallett talk about their experiences of playing for the club and their thoughts on cricket from the 1950s right up to today. Some noteworthy ex sportsmen make guest appearances wishing the club all the best in their anniversary year.
Y gohebydd criced Edward Bevan sy'n cofio'n ôl i'w ddyddiau'n chwarae i dîm Tre-gŵyr i Lord's, nid unwaith ond dwy, yng nghanol y 1970au. Enillodd y clwb dlws Cwpan y Pentrefi ar eu hail gynnig. Crynodeb Saesneg i ddilyn.
In a welsh language interview, journalist Edward Bevan re-counts his experiences as a player with Gowerton Cricket Club when they went to Lords not once but twice in the mid 1970s. The club won the Village Cup Trophy on their second attempt. The interview is followed by a brief English language discussion.
Christchurch Cricket Club: A Centenary Year (Part 2)
In this week's episode we meet with four stalwarts of Christchurch Cricket Club who take us through their involvement with the club, the players that they remember from its past and the battles that they face in keeping the club going in this, its 100th year of existence.
For this interested in the club you can check out their Facebook Page here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/151870402830
Their Twitter (X) handle is @CCCCFerndale
Thank you to all the gentlemen for giving their time to be interviewed. Everyone at the Museum of Welsh Cricket would like to wish everyone at Christchurch Cricket Club a wonderful centenary season.
Albert Francis MBE. Groundsman and charity fundraiser extraordinairre
This is the first of two episodes celebrating Christchurch Cricket Clun and their centenary year.
In this first episode we hear from local historian of Ferndale and District, Alun Clement who sets the scene for a discussion with current players and administrators of the club which will come next week.
Alun very kindly provided us with some pre-recorded statements outlining the history of the area, the development of sport with an emphasis on cricket and the Christchurch Club and some notable local sportspeople.
This is followed on the episode by excerpts from an online chat we had with Alun about his book 'Passages of Life: Ferndale and District'.
If you enjoy the episode and are interested in Alun's book please get in touch with us and we can forward your details to him.
The Museum at the Home of Cricket: An Interview with Neil Robinson (Part 2)
Neil begins by outlining the story of the stuffed sparrow that is one of the more unusual items in the MCC Museum and one that has a link to Glamorgan as the ball that was bowled immediately before the sparrow was discovered was bowled by Jahangir Khan, father of Majid Khan, Glamorgan’s first overseas player.
The discussion then moves on to books and, in particular, the books that have been written, wholly or in the main, after research at the MCC library and archive. The following books are outlined by Neil:
After this literary excursion, Neil outlines the staff group at the Museum. They are:
Alan Rees
Charlotte Goodhew
Heather Lomas
Matthew Howe
Neil talks about an item in the collection that has a specific relationship with Glamorgan. It is a poster advertising a gala week to raise money for Glamorgan County Cricket Club.
We talk about the oral history project undertaken at the Museum of Welsh Cricket called Tale-Enders and how it influenced Neil’s approach to the work of the MCC Museum in general and specifically the project they launched called Taking the Field.
Finally, Neil touches on what he sees as the importance of sports museums in telling the history of people in a particular place and at a particular time and he finishes with the details of how people can get in touch with and / or visit the museum.
For details of the tours of Lords or contacting the museum you can go here:
In this week's episode we meet the Head of Heritage and Collections at the MCC, Neil Robinson.
We begin by talking about how, where and when Neil began his affiliation with the game of cricket. Specifically, it was the 1981 Ashes and Bob Willis' phenomenal last day performance in the Headingley Test.
Yorkshire was the nearest first class county to him in the North East so he became a fan of the club. He has followed Durham's progression as a first class county.
Neil then tells us a little bit about his journey to the position that he currently holds. From an initial period as a library student in 2004 he managed to get a permanent job in 2006. He became the Head of Heritage and Collections in 2019.
The Museum is not as old as the Lords cricket ground. In fact, it was officially opened in 1953 but the collections do go back much further. Neil outlines the details of how the museum and collections have grown over the past 150 years.
Neil outlines what has happened to the museum in the time he has been there. Principally, this has been the development of a proper cataloguing system so that museum staff and those researching aspects of the game can search and find material they can use to tell the story of the game of cricket through the work of this hugely influential institution. He then gives us a brief 'virtual' guide to the museum itself.
Recent developments in cricket have led some to question the equality and diversity in the history of the game. Neil describes the way in which the museum's approach to telling cricket history has thrown a light on some of the issues raised in the ICEC Report of 2023.
To finish the episode, Neil talks about some of the items in the collection that he regards as significant and important finishing with the story of the Ashes urn.
The museum website, where you can find details of how you can visit the museum and / or use it for research:
Anna Harris has only been an umpire for 9 years but she has had a meteoric rise through the ranks to become an international umpire on the women's circuit and operating at just under first class level in the men's game.
We begin by talking about Anna's early life in High Wycombe and Brighton and how she started by picking up a plastic cricket bat at school aged 5. She talks about her development as a cricketer through Buckinghamshire's junior ranks. She was an England player in her late teens and kept up her playing when she came to University in Cardiff. Anna talks a little bit about her playing as a batter and a leg spin bowler.
She recounts her highest score of 124 at the Malvern Festival and turning the ball to take a wicket.
Her umpiring began as a way of making a little bit of pocket money but she took it up more seriously when she went on a gap year to Australia. She played cricket for Melbourne Cricket Club and umpired in the local Melbourne men's league.
Anna outlines the pathway that currently exists for men's and women's cricket umpiring and how she progressed as an umpire and how this has all changed even in the short time she has been umpiring. She now umpires in National Counties cricket and is on the panel for professional women's cricket in the UK. She is also on the panel of umpires for the ICC and can umpire in international women's matches.
We talk about some of the people that have inspired her development as an umpire and then some of the important moments in her career to date including being part of the first all female team to umpire in an ECB accredited men's premier league match and her international debut aged 22 years old.
Anna talks about her views on umpiring, where it sits in the game and what are the most important aspects of it for her. She confronts the fear that all umpires must have of making a mistake and also about the nature of the umpire's role, the way she turns her levels of concentration on and off. We talk about giving lbw decisions and how Anna prepares herself for these. She talks about the 42 laws of the game and the unwritten one, 43, that deals with the unexpected.
Anna talks about the controversial decision made at the England v India ODI and what it was like to be part of that as an umpire:
We talk about the things that Anna takes with her onto the field of play, the image of umpiring and then talk about how she came to Wales and how she has enjoyed her time here.
Finally, we talk about the future and what Anna wants to do with her life and her umpiring.
For those who want to hear Anna talk a a little bit more you can try these videos:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=656508298940893
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpMhmMeT6sk
And you can read this article from the ECB about the women's T20 World Cup in which Anna officiated.
You can follow Anna on X at a_y_harris
A Passion for Cricket. A Passion for North Wales: An Interview with Sue Wells
In this episode we talk to Sue Wells, Area Manager for Cricket Wales North.
Her Cricket Wales biography can be found here:
https://cricketwales.org.uk/our-team/sue-wells
Sue tells us about her early life in Shropshire and the farming family she was born into. She remembers never being without sport in her life and her first love was kicking a ball. She joined her first team aged 7 or 8 and joined her first organised club, Wem Town. Sue talks about her football career, winning a national football competition with Shropshire Girls football, even though she missed a penalty in the final! She had an England trial at aged under 16 and has played for a couple of welsh clubs. Her biggest regret, other than being injured early in her career, wa snever having the opportunity to play for Wrexham.
Sports development came on top of Sue's commitment as a coach and referee. It was at University that she discovered Sports Science and then that sports development was an option. She completed a Masters Degree in sports development researching women and girls football and through that she got offered her first opportunity working as a Girls and Womens development officer for Suffolk Football Association.
Sue tells us a little bit about her work in Suffolk and her achievements which includesd re-organising a league and raising the profile of the womens game in that part of the UK. She also talks about her links with the University of Chester and the lecturing role she performed there.
Sue came to Cricket Wales in 2016 but she has always loved watching the game. She mentions the 2005 Ashes as a major influence on her love of the game. She outlines the patch she covers in her job and the team that she leads. She then outlines the roles that she has responsibility for you as a Cricket Wales Area Manager:
Coach Education,
Women & Girls’ Cricket
Chance to Shine
All Stars & Dynamos
Supporting the club, league and volunteer network
Sue confesses that she might be taking the plunge and participating in a softball cricket team this summer and then talks a little bit about funding, the partners that cricket wales has and how she works with them to deliver as many opportunities as possible to a wide range of young people.
We get Sue to reflect on the similarities between different sports when it comes to sports development as well as some of the unique things about cricket and her 'patch' in North / mid wales.
The growth of the women's and girls game is something that Sue is very proud of in her role as well as the growth and development in the mid wales junior cricket league which was reformed in the last couple of years. She mentions the young Ukrainian cricketer that was mention in the Chance to Shine impact report. This video captures the story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Zc2NK8YmP4
Rewarding volunteers is very important to Sue and she talks about some of the ways she tries to reward them. We then talk about some of the challenges she has had in her role. Sue mentions one or two individuals who have helped her in her role.
We finish with Sue talking about her hopes for the future of the game and the area she works in and a few reflections on her own role and where she might be in a few years time.
To contact Sue, you can follow her on X at @suecricketwales or email her:
In this episode we meet six cricketers from in and around Swansea who play in the relatively new mid-week cricket league, the Tawe League. The players are:
Ataur Rahman Jaber (Swansea Warriors) Abdul Mustak (Swansea Rising Stars) Amit Shivani (Swansea Strikers) Raj Tilak (Deccan Chargers) Krishna Prasanth (Master Blasters) Gigi George (Swansea Spartans)
They tell us a little bit about their own personal histories, where they first played cricket, and how they fell in love with the game.
The talk then moves on to talking about how they found a place to play cricket when they came to Wales. Some of them talk about their links with local clubs and they talk about the difficulty of finding equipment and the desperate need to have a local sports shop dedicated to cricket.
The Tawe League has its origins in a lot of friendly cricket that took place between different groups of, predominantly, south asian cricketers up to and around 2020. Jaber talks about meeting Keri Chahal from cricket wales and Paul from Ynystawe Cricket Club and how the league became more organised and, in his view, more spicy !
Finding proper pitches and places to practice has been hard but it has also meant that players meet, train and mix socially. They now talk about the eight clubs that comprise the league.
Raj talks about how competitive the league is and how the competition makes the experience much more interesting. Amit adds that the League can and does act as a 'feeder' system for local league clubs.
We talk a little bit about the names of the teams and their origins and how their approach to cricket affects all these things.
Mustak explains the 'Finals Day' that comes at the end of the season and how important it is to the development of the league. It is hoped that it will continue to grow as an event and Amit was very thankful to Ynystawe Cricket Club for hosting this event.
The Tawe league has used Ynystawe Park, Briton Ferry CC, Baglan CC pitches and this year there will be games at Felinfoel as well.
The gentlemen finish by talking about their hopes for the season and for the league.
Anyone interested in the Tawe League either as a player, supporter or, indeed, a sponsor should contact Keri Chahal on:
keri.chahal@cricketwales.org.uk
Haverfordwest Cricket Club: 200 Years Old and Counting (Part 1)
The collected group of ex-players and committee post holders started by telling us who they are and what they were like as cricketers.
We get a picture of the way into cricket which was different for different players, some moving from juniors into seniors and others coming onto the scene as a senior. There were four senior sides in the past and some present played for all four sides.
We talk about a little bit of the older history of the club with contributions from Stuart who outlined the contested question of exactly when the cricket club was formed. Cricket was brought to the area by English gentlemen who played mainly ‘away’ fixtures from 1824 but finally came to the Racecourse Ground in 1839.
Stuart tells the story of why the ground is called ‘The Racecourse’ and also outlines the history of the building of the current Pavillion.
Like in other areas of Wales, english educated gentlemen first brought the game of cricket to the town when returning to their homes.
The first reported game involving members of the Haverfordwest Club took place on 12th August 1835 when a combined Haverfordwest and Pembroke team played members of the Tenby club.
The club is reputed to be the oldest in Wales. A quote from 1839 noted, ‘It is ordered that John Higgon Esquire, and other gentlemen of the cricket club, be allowed to level a spot of ground within the ring of the Racecourse for the purpose of forming a Cricket Ground.’ English educated gentlemen first brought the game of cricket to this part of Wales
One character from the early years of the club was John Henry Philipss. You can read about him here:
In the late 1960s and early 70s discussions got under way regarding the building of a clubhouse. In 1977 the new clubhouse was opened by Wilfred Wooller of Glamorgan CCC and in 1982 the extension was officially opened by Alan Jones esq, Wales pre-eminent first class cricketer and Glamorgan opening bat for many years.
For more detail on the history of the club you can approach them for a copy of the 200th Anniversary Handbook which also contains some great articles on the modern day achievements of the club as well as pieces on its Ladies and Junior Sections.
Simon and Chris outline their favourite performances for Haverfordwest and then the ex-players share their memories of playing for the club.
Matthew Maynard: A Modern Glamorgan Great (Part 3)
This is the last of 3 episodes of the podcast devoted to one of Glamorgan’s greatest ever players, Matthew Maynard.
He begins by talking about coaching, both young players as well as elite cricketers and praises the philosophy of the current England coach and captain, Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes.
He mentions one instance with Marcus Trescothick which was the exception to his experiences when coaching with England. This, for him, is the essence of coaching elite players, finding solutions to puzzles. It is, when all is said and done, about finding ways to score.
Matt talks about the limits to video analysis and statistics and the importance of encouraging players to trust their instincts. Getting your own performance right is what he emphasises. Stick to your own strengths.
Matt’s England career started as a bit of a surprise to him. He describes the experience of turning up for his debut and being given a cap with someone else’s name in it. He never felt that he was wanted in the England set up and felt that this was indicative of the England Team in the 80s and 90s. Reflecting on the experience he felt he just needed more time to acclimatise to the Test and One Day International arena and, for whatever reason, never got that time.
He tells the story of how he decided to learn to drive the Team coach whilst being Director of Cricket at Somerset!
We talk about the opportunities available to young cricketers in Wales and his plans for the future and we finish with his thoughts on being an umpire, being on a committee and whether he feels 100% welsh!
If you want to donate to Matt’s Wellyman Walk, go here:
In this episode, Matt talks about captaincy, the dilemmas of selection, the 1997 Championship Winning Season, his trip to Lords for the Benson and Hedges Cup Final and the first steps in his coaching career.
Matt is still completing his Wellyman Walk for the Professional Cricketers Trust and Help for Heroes.
The following is taken from his JustGiving Page:
Former England Test cricketer Matt Maynard is to walk the length of the country in wellington boots all in aid of two charities close to his heart.
In October this year, the Glamorgan coach will take on the epic challenge from Lands End to John OGroats (LEJOG), a total of 1,189 miles, to raise much-needed funds for the Professional Cricketers Trust and Help For Heroes.
Although Maynard may have spent a career trying to avoid being dismissed LBW, this time he is embracing it: By completing LEJOG By Wellies or LBW.
This will be Maynards second Wellyman walk, having previously travelled from Cardiff to Colwyn Bay for the Tom Maynard Trust, set up following the tragic death of his son in 2012.
Maynard hopes to be joined by cricketing figures along the route and would also welcome the company of other walkers who are simply keen to offer their support and encouragement.
The Professional Cricketers' Trust is a registered charity created to support the health and well-being of PCA members and their immediate families for the whole of their lives. The assistance we provide includes: medical advice, provision of specialist equipment, funding operations and providing support for health and wellbeing issues.
Help for Heroes champions the Armed Forces community and helps them live well after service. The charity helps them, and their families, to recover and get on with their lives. It has already supported more than 27,000 people and wont stop until every veteran gets the support they deserve.
Matthew Maynard established, with his first class career, a place in the all-time record books of Glamorgan County Cricket Club. But it is not just the quantity of runs that he scored that made Matt stand out amongst Glamorgan players of the modern age but the way in which he scored them.
It would have come as no surprise to Glamorgan fans that Matt chose to call the book about his cricketing career 'On the Attack'. They will have spent many seasons marveling at the glittering stroke-play and immaculate timing that brought him 59 first class hundreds, 131 first class 50s, 16 List A centuries and 81 50s.
In this episode Matt shares with us his early life in Oldham and then on Anglesey, his boyhood cricketing heroes, his first steps in the professional game and the influences on his batting from childhood through to his years at Glamorgan.
Matt is due to complete his Wellyman Walk from John O'Groats to Lands End in the next two weeks. He is walking to raise money for the Professional Cricketers Trust and Help for Heroes. You can find more details about his walk and you can donate here:
Joe begins by introducing himself, talking about his early life in Bangor and Llandudno where his parents ran a little bed and breakfast business.
He describes his early sporting experiences, including his memories of the 1970 football World Cup. He 'stumbled' upon the Llandudno Oval, the club's cricket ground and was hooked by the idea of playing the game.
He was a mischievous child and got into a little trouble with other members of the club but fell in love with cricket and that love has stayed with him. He remembers the 1976 Test Series with the great West Indies side and how practicing in the back lane forced him to play straight.
Joe outlines the sporting traditions of Llandudno including rugby, hockey and football as well as cricket and recalls some of his memories of playing at the club.
He talks passionately about his work as a coach and cricket development officer with Cricket Wales in and around Llandudno with some powerful stories of connecting with young people and promoting the game in North Wales.
Joe has used his lifelong intoxication with the game of cricket to enthuse countless youngsters, some of whom will form the bedrock of the recreational game in the years to come. He is a fabulous ambassador and advocate for the game of cricket.
Everyone at the Museum of Welsh Cricket wishes him well with his ongoing work.
By way of a trailer for our episodes interviewing Matt about his cricket and sporting life, this mini episode features him talking about his latest charity fundraising walk from John O Groats to Lands End.
Matt is walking in aid of the Professional Cricketers' Trust and Help for Heroes and is hoping to raise £10,000 for each charity.
To read about the challenge and to donate you can visit Matt's Just Giving Page here:
In this episode we interview three stalwarts of the Pirates cricket team, Port Talbot Town Cricket Club. They are, in no particular order:
Mark Jones Ian Rees Ray Cox
We talk about their early years, discovering cricket and joining the club as well as a little bit of the history of the club which dates from around 1963. We hear about some of their exploits as players including Ray playing First Division cricket with both his sons.
The gents then answered a series of questions aimed at getting them to talk about their cricketing pasts. The questions, again, in no particular order, were:
Your most memorable match you were involved in. Best individual performance. Favourite ground. Favourite players to play with. Favourite players to play against. A favourite cricketing story
We talked about the honour that the club had bestowed upon the three of them last year when they were given caps commemmorating their 50 years or more service to the club as players and administrators.
We finish the gent's hopes for the future of the club. There are some great, funny stories in here. We hope you enjoyed the listen.