Explore every episode of the podcast Museum of Welsh Cricket Podcast

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Having seen the devastation of the Nagasaki bomb in 1945, Les Spence returned to Wales and became a key figure in the post-war revival of Glamorgan CCC. 

Captured on Java, alongside his close friend Wilf Wooller, Spence had been taken by a so-called 'hell ship' - a POW ship where men were kept in poor conditions - to Japan where he was put to work in a coal mine. 

Having survived, when many others didn't, he came home to resume a life in rugby and cricket.

As president of the WRU in the 1970s, he welcomed the Japanese rugby team to Wales and became team manager on the reciprocal tour. This formed part of his determination to forgive but not forget the deprivations of his life as a prisoner in Japan.

In this episode, Greg Lewis – who edited Les’ secretly-kept POW diary, From Java to Nagasaki, for publication – talks to Les’ son Jeremy about Wooller, Bernard Hedges, Majid Khan, and the host of cricketers he met through his father.

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In this episode we talk to Paul Discombe who, with Ynystawe Cricket Club won the National Village Cup Competition in 2001.

Paul's bowling performance of six for eighteen off his nine overs at the final at Lords has remained the best bowling performance in a final.

This year, that performance was recognised by the current sponsors of the Cup, Cawston Press, and the Cricketer Magazine as being good enough to make Paul an inductee to the Village Cup Hall of Fame which has been in existence since 2019.

Paul talks about his entry into cricket, his development as a bowler and his memories of that Lords final as well as the experience of being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

For press coverage of Paul's trip to Lords you can follow the links below:

https://www.nationalvillagecup.com/three-new-inductees-to-join-cawston-press-village-cup-hall-of-fame/

https://swanseabaynews.com/ynystawe-licence-to-thrill-the-dvla-man-whose-six-wickets-won-the-village-a-lords-final-25-years-on/

https://pocketmags.com/the-cricketer-magazine/august-2026/articles/waking-the-welsh-dragon?srsltid=AU7gw4Ui1CI785ynrCfqCDIUoWkTFIv6SgydMY5GE_vTxuv07fXr9SRk

For more on Ynystawe Cricket Club, you can go here:

https://www.facebook.com/YnystaweCricketClub/?locale=en_GB

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Time to hear from Glamorgan fans for our end-of-season review.

This time last year we spoke to county followers as they celebrated promotion to Division One.

Now, after excellent seasons for the men's and women’s teams, we wander among fans to get their reflections on the summer and their players of the year.

Presented by Greg Lewis*

*With apologies to Amelia and Anna who couldn’t be included for technical reasons (a dropped audio recorder!)

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South Africa-born Chris Cooke has become an absolute club favourite. Brave behind the stumps, often swashbuckling with the bat, he jointly holds the Glamorgan record for wicket-keeper dismissals in a first-class match, as well as the record for the county’s fastest T20 hundred, and he shared in three of Glamorgan’s highest partnerships.

But this year he called time on a career which has seen him become Glamorgan’s longest-serving current player, having made his county debut in 2011.

We caught up with him just after nets as he prepared for his final game as a county cricketer.

Presented by Greg Lewis.

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In this episode of the podcast we feature an interview with Tegid Phillips and Matty Ryan about their record-breaking partnership for Wales National County against Cheshire. 

They discuss their club cricket backgrounds, with Matty playing for St. Asaph and Tegid for Cardiff, and their experiences in three-day cricket. 

The pair detail their approach to the innings, focusing on occupation of the crease and application, which led to a partnership of 380 runs. Matty scored 241, becoming the first Welsh National County player to score a double century, while Tegid made 155 not out. 

They reflect on the physical and mental demands of the long innings and the significance of the achievement, which included setting a new National Counties record. 

The interview concludes with them sharing their plans for the off-season. 

You can see the Youtube video of the first days play in the NCCA Championship match between Cheshire and Wales National County here:

https://www.youtube.com/live/kp7hgjmVqlU?t=20756s

For two fantastic videos outlining the work of Wales National County go here:

https://youtu.be/toPmELX3l6s

https://youtu.be/iJamYcsoLA0

For the National Counties Cricket Association website, go here:

https://nationalcountiesca.co.uk/

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Stephen Barwick, who died on Tuesday, 11 August 2026 at the age of 65, was one of the great characters of the Glamorgan team of the 1980s and 1990s.

This episode contains tributes from professional and amateur players, supporters and others to this great exponent of the craft of bowling, in particular in limited overs cricket.

You can read the tribute written about Steve for the Glamorgan CCC website and his entry in the Glamorgan CCC Archives, which contains a summary of his first class record, here:

https://glamorgancricket.com/news/stephen-barwick-tribute

https://glamorgancricketarchives.com/steve-barwick/

One of Steve's ex colleagues at Glamorgan, Michael Cann, makes mention in his tribute, of the first class match where he demonstrated his new 'style' of bowling.  You can read the scorecard for that match here:

https://i.imgci.com/db/ARCHIVE/1980S/1989/ENG_LOCAL/CC/SOMERSET_GLAM_CC_28APR-01MAY1989.html

Steve had been a sufferer of the rare condition, sarcoidosis and talked about it when we interviewed him on the podcast two years ago.  You can hear that episode and find links to the national charity that supports sufferers of the disease here:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1238213/episodes/15659073

https://www.sarcoidosisuk.org/

In lieu of flowers at Steve's funeral you can make a donation to SarcoidosisUK.  Just follow the link below to do that:

https://shorturl.at/kdz5j

The funeral service can be followed on a live webcast, the details of which are here:

https://www.wesleymedia.co.uk/webcast-view

Webcast log in PIN: 421-2592

Everyone associated with the podcast would like to express their deep sadness about Steve's passing.  We hope this podcast can act as some small comfort to Steve's family and friends who mourn his passing.

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In this episode we talk to cricket fan and author Raymond Rhodes.  An adopted Welshman, Raymond lives in Chester and has taken a couple of years to research and write his first cricket book, 'A Test Debut'.

For details about the book and to buy a copy you can go here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Test-Debut-Raymond-Rhodes-ebook/dp/B0G53ZMJCZ

Raymond talks to us about the following players / coaches with a welsh connection:

Simon Jones

Tony Lewis

Alan Jones

Austin Matthews

Sydney Barnes

Viv Richards

Waqar Younis

Duncan Fletcher

Raymond set listeners to the podcast a quiz question:  Who is the only player up until now who made his test debut at Sophia Gardens ?

The answer, if you are interested can be found by clicking below as well as details of the game in which he made his debut:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thisara_Perera

https://www.cricinfo.com/series/sri-lanka-tour-of-england-and-scotland-2011-474449/england-vs-sri-lanka-1st-test-474463/full-scorecard

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In this episode we talk to Derek Picken of Rogerstone Cricket Club just outside Newport.  Derek was interviewed back in 2020 for the podcast where he shared his history of the club and the village.

With over 70 years association with cricket in Rogerstone behind him and many of those years acting as an administrative ‘rock’ for the club, Derek is one of the longest serving officers in recreational cricket in Wales.

Last year, he was nominated by the local community council in Rogerstone for British Empire Medal in recognition of the sterling work he has done researching and sharing the history of the village.

We talk to him in this episode about his cricketing memories as well as being awarded the BEM.

For reports on Derek’s award you can go here

https://www.sportingmemories.uk/news/news/rogerstone-volunteer-derek-awarded-bem-in-kings-birthday-honours/

https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/25248273.former-rogerstone-cricketer-receives-british-empire-medal/

The full list of welsh nominees for awards in the Kings Birthday Honours List can be found here:

https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2025-06-13/all-the-welsh-people-to-be-given-honours-by-the-king

For more information about the work of Rogerstone Community Council you can go here:

https://www.rogerstonecommunitycouncil.com/Home__33306.aspx

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In this episode we talk to Kate Aldridge, Director of Business Operations at the ECB about the campaign called The 53.

(see here for biography of Kate : https://www.ecb.co.uk/about/who-we-are/our-executive )

In 1973, England and Wales hosted the inaugural Women’s Cricket World Cup. 53 years on, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup returned in June of this year and to mark the occasion, the ECB is recognized 53 women whose impact is helping cricket thrive at every level.

After our interview with Kate, we talk to the four women on this exclusive list who have a strong connection to the game of cricket in Wales.  They are, in order of their appearance in the episode:

Aimee Rees  -  Head of Women and Girl's Cricket at Glamorgan CCC

Ayesha Rauf  -  Cricket Coach and Mentor at Llandaff Cricket Club

Victoria Jones  -  Facilities Lead at Cricket Wales

Anna Harris  -  Umpire

For details of The 53 campaign and links to how people can Play, Learn, Work and Volunteer in the game of cricket, go here:

https://www.ecb.co.uk/the53

To read about Aimme's previous award winning go here:

https://glamorgancricket.com/news/aimee-rees-wins-grassroots-sportswoman-of-the-year-award

For a National Asian Cricket Council article about Ayesha and Llandaff Cricket Club go here:

https://www.nacc.co/nacc_news/wegotgame-llandaff-cc-womens-and-girls-by-aalia-rahman-and-ayesha-rauf%EF%BF%BC/

For more Victoria go here:

https://cricketwales.org.uk/people/victoria-jones/

For a great little article about Anna and her mum, go here:

https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4275172/how-anna-harris-and-her-mum-are-inspiring-more-women-to-officiate

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In this episode we talk to radio and tv broadcaster and writer Grahame Lloyd about his memories of and contact with the great Sir Garfield Sobers who passed away on Friday 17th July 2026.

Graham shares his personal memories of Sobers, including his first encounter with him during the 1966 West Indies tour of England. and 

We talk about the the iconic moment when Sobers became the first cricketer in first class cricket to hit six sixes at St Helen's in Swansea in 1968.  Grahame runs through he events of the day and explains why the event has become so synonymous with the great West Indian cricketers life in cricket.

We  talk about Grahame's investigation into the authenticity of the ball sold at auction some years later, claiming to be the ball Sobers hit in that over.  He proved it to be a fake and his efforts  cleared Sobers' name from any wrongdoing in the process. 

Graham also reads a poem he wrote about the six sixes and reflects on Sobers' greatness as an all-rounder. 

We discuss how Sobers should be remembered in Wales, particularly for his connection to St Helen's and the impact of the six sixes. 

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In this episode we talk to the following Old Blundellians about their memories of Hugh Morris at the school:

Grant Deeshapland

Christian Brook

Mike Coe

They are joined by ex Master at the scholl and well known friend of the podcast, Andrew Hignell.

The guests talk about their memories of being at Blundell's, the people that influenced both them and Hugh and Hugh's sporting prowess at cricket, rugby, squash, fives and golf.

He is also remembered for his warm personality and friendliness which outlasted his schoolboy years and is how he is remembered now by the men who were his school friends.

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In this episode we talk to David (Dai) Rothero of Briton Ferry Steel Cricket Club.  Now in his 80th year and a life member of the club for 45 years, Dai tells us his cricketing story and that of his club.

You can see the Facebook story about Dai Here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1016434321744080/posts/26230313686596129/

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The podcast was delighted to be on the spot when family, friends, and former teammates came to see the Hugh Morris National Cricket Centre being unveiled at Sophia Gardens.

Among the crowd were Matthew Maynard and Alec Stewart who both spoke to us about their love and admiration for Hugh.

Presented by Greg Lewis.

*This is, hopefully, the first in a series of special tributes to Hugh Morris covering his early days at Blundells School, his time as a player with Glamorgan and his time with England and Glamorgan as an administrator.

The Museum of Welsh Cricket now has a Hugh Morris Memorial Cabinet which can be seen here:

https://www.cricketmuseum.wales/hugh-morris-memorial-cabinet/

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In this episode we talk to Glamorgan CCC First XI scorer and curator of the museum of welsh cricket, Andrew Hignell, about the exploits of young debutante Tom Norton and  Australian overseas player Ryan Hadley in the recent County Championship game at Sophia Gardens.

For those interested in the statistics of the game, go here:

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/county-championship-division-one-2026-1513323/glamorgan-vs-somerset-24th-match-1513349/live-cricket-score

Some of the statistics that Andrew mentions in the episode can be found here:

https://glamorgancricket.com/news/tom-norton-hattrick-somerset

Below is a link to an ESPN article about hat tricks in international cricket:

https://www.espn.co.uk/cricket/story/_/id/23020910/hat-trick-heroes

And here is an alphabetical list of all the players who have taken a hat trick in English first-class cricket:

https://stats.acscricket.com/Records/First_Class/Overall/Bowling/Hat_Trick_in_England_by_Player.html

We hope you enjoy the episode.

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 The Extra Test

Stories about Bradman and Turnbull, and memories of Majid and Maynard, bring alive the history of touring teams against Glamorgan in this episode of the Museum of Welsh Cricket podcast.

In his new book, ‘The Extra Test’, Glamorgan scorer and historian Dr Andrew Hignell celebrates a bygone era when world greats played the county in three-day games.

Many of the greatest matches took place at St Helen’s, and the stories often pay fitting tribute to the fine old Swansea venue.

 Presented by Greg Lewis.

Taken from the book itself:

Matches against the touring teams from overseas were the highlight of Glamorgan County Cricket Club's fixture list.

The three day games against the international stars allowed the club's avid supporters, plus those with a more general sporting interest, a chance to watch some of the greatest names in world cricket to play on welsh soil.

The Extra Test is a celebration of bygone times in the history of the domestic game.  It is also a tribute to the richly appreciated efforts of the overseas in their matches with Glamorgan.  The Celtic fervour especially in the matches at St Helen's ground in Swansea, meant that there was an additional dimension to the contests between Glamorgan and the touring teams.

In the words of Richie Benaud, the great Australian captain - and later world famous broadcaster- 'this match with Glamorgan is like an extra Test in our series on tour'.

Greg Lewis of the podcast interviews Andrew Hignell, the author of the book, about his reasons for writing it and the stories it contains.  Andrew has been the Glamorgan 1st XI scorer since 2004.  For over 25 years he combined a career as a teacher with working on radio commentaries for BBC Radio Wales on the home and away matches of Glamorgan.  In 2004 he became the Heritage and Education Co-Ordinator of Glamorgan Cricket, where he manages the Museum of Welsh Cricket at Sophia Gardens.

The book is published by Weslh Publisher Parthian and a copy can be purchased here:

https://www.parthianbooks.com/collections/new-releases/products/the-extra-test-the-story-of-glamorgan-playing-the-best-1875-2025

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This is the second part of our chat to Mike Price and Neil Hobbs about the centenary of the South Wales Cricket Association.

In it, we hear about the West Indian cricketer Linton Lewis and the incredible impact he had on the South Wales leagues whilst playing for Ammanford.

We also hear, more generally, about the impact of overseas and paid players.

Mike and Neil remember two tragedies that befell two people associated with the SWCA, namely cricketer George Thomas and umpire Alcwyn Jenkins.

Finally, the gents discuss representative cricket and the future of the game and the leagues in South Wales.

For thos seeking more information about the league and its work or who want to get hold of a centenary booklet you can contact Neil on the following mobile and email:

neil.hobbs2@btinternet.com  or 07971423274

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In the latest episode of the podcast we talk to outgoing Chair of the SWCA Neil Hobbs and local cricketer and amateur historian Mike Price about the 100 year history of the South Wales Cricket Association.

We hear about some of the individuals, teams and events that have marked various phases of that history as well as some of the issues that have affected the league over the years.

Mike Price is a long term player and administrator with Cimla Cricket Club as well as a host of roles with Neath RFC.  He is the author of the Centenary Booklet 'A Long Spell' produced by the association.

Neil Hobbs is the longstanding Chair of the SWCA.  He talks to us about his early cricketing experiences and how he ended up being the Chairperson of the league.  He also shares his knowledge of cricket in South Wales in the last 30 or more years.

This is the first of two episodes covering this organisation and its centenary.

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The interviews that form this episode are all with members, players and officials of Pontarddulais Cricket Club.

This year, the club celebrates its 150th Year and as part of its celebrations it has published a book covering the history of the club from 1976 to 2026.

We would like to thank the following individuals for sharing their memories and stories with us:

Ben Roberts

Keith Griffiths

Meirion Bishop

Matthew Fisher

Nigel Rogers

Alun Wyn Evans

Mark Davies

Iestyn Rees

Gary Thomas

Phil Williams

Ollie, Morgan and Dylan

Ian Owen

Robert Croft

If you are interested in getting hold of a copy of the book talked about in the episode or if you are interested in some of the celebratory events lined up for the 150th anniversary celebrations you can contact Ben Roberts and / or Martin Lewis at the following email:

pontarddulaiscc@hotmail.co.uk

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In the week of his funeral, this episode focuses on the contribution to the game of cricket of Glamorgan legend and English cricket administrator extraordinaire, Hugh Morris MBE.

There have, of course, been numerous obituaries written since his untimely passing.  There are links to the most significant of these below:

https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4422639/hugh-morris-obituary

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sporhttps://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/dec/28/hugh-morris-former-england-cricketer-ecb-chief-dies-62t/cricket/articles/cd6xq1v6l76o

https://glamorgancricket.com/news/hugh-morris-a-tribute

https://my.blundells.org/obclub/obclub/obituaries/morris_hugh.htm

This conversation was recorded for an online meeting of Glamorgan CCC supporters in late 2023.

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Bhavya Dhoshi left his home in cricket-mad Kolkata to study media at Cardiff Metropolitan University. He is now a key member of Glamorgan’s media team.

The podcast caught up with him before Christmas to talk about the interesting times ahead for the county and for Welsh Fire under the new joint ownership of Glamorgan and Washington Freedom. 

He also shared insights in what it is like to do media interviews and clips for Glamorgan – and which Glamorgan players are the most fun to work with! And he talked about his love of St Fagans Cricket Club.

But, to begin, Bhavya offered a fascinating insight in the culture of cricket back home in India.

Presented by Greg Lewis.

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In this second installment of our review of 2025 we listen to clips from a number of episodes covering a range of subjects.  These are:

The Nantgarw China Cup

The Aboriginal Touring side of 1868

Sir Geoffrey Boycott's memories of playing at St Helens in Swansea

The Gorseinon Cricket Club women's volunteers

Glamorgan's oldest follower Dr  Dr Subrahmanyam Ganesh 

We would like to thank all those who have contributed to the podcast over the last year.  If you have a story or would like your club to feature then just contact us @welshcricketpod, on Facebook at the Museum of Welsh Cricket Podcast OR by email on mwcpod1921@gmail.com

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This week's episode is the first of two looking back at some of the highlights of the podcast over the past year.

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 The medical research carried out by Dr David Owen OBE into Parkinson’s Disease has helped countless people around the world.

 But, away of the lab, it’s a love of cricket which has kept him going.

 And that includes a vivid memory of a hundred partnership he shared with Geoffrey Boycott in the 1980s. It’s a great story and as Dr Owen notes, “he was as difficult as one might have imagined!”.

 In this episode, Dr Owen shares his memories of that innings and subsequent meetings with Boycott, and much more: watching Don Shepherd versus Richie Benaud, chatting to Wes Hall about one special match, playing with Peter May, and umpiring Stuart Broad and Samit Patel.

 Presented by Greg Lewis.

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 It was 1956 when Dr Subrahmanyam Ganesh arrived in Wales from India to work in the NHS.

 He was already a fan of Glamorgan, having followed their 1948 County Championship win on the radio. Wilf Wooller was one of his favourite players.

 On leaving India, his father told him: “Don't be a stranger in your adopted country. Become a useful member of the community and give something back in return.”

 This he did – and more! He became a much-respected GP in Merthyr Tydfil (even attending the terrible aftermath of the Aberfan disaster), a long-standing Rotarian, and a dedicated follower of Glamorgan CCC.

 Now 96, he made it to every Glammy home game of the 2025 season.

 Presented by Greg Lewis.

For further information and a wonderful BBC interview with Dr Ganesh you can go here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/KmmR515k2tpQFGm5X00MQc/meet-ganesh-one-of-the-welsh-valley-s-first-asian-doctors

And here you can find some more interviews with the Dr on a South Asian Oral History website:

https://southasianbritain.org/oral-histories/subramanyam-ganesh/

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In this episode, the longest ever in the history of our podcast, we hear almost 50 contributors share their memories of the St Helen's ground in Swansea.

Now no longer a cricket venue, St Helen's has been at the heart of Glamorgan's journey as a first class county and has hosted many famous games and famous names as well as cricketing exploits that reverberate through the history of the game of cricket itself.

Contributions include those by:

Andrew Hignell, pre-eminent historian of cricket in Wales

Mal Pope, singer, radio dj and composer

Fred Raffle (long time blind supporter of Glamorgan CCC)

Peter Hybart (ex CEO of Cricket Wales)

Dan Cherry (CEO of Glamorgan)

Mark Rhyderch-Roberts (Chair, Glamorgan CCC)

Alan Wilkins (President, Glamorgan CCC)

Ken Lewis (Glamorgan's oldest living player)

Steve Watkin

Dean Cosker

Tony Cottee

Ossie Wheatley

Tony Lewis

Hugh Morris

Alan Butcher

Matt Maynard

David Hemp

Alan Jones

Waqar Younis

Jack Russel

David Gower

Sir Geoffrey Boycott

Max Boyce

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In this episode we talk to the 6 remaining members of the Gowerton Cricket Club Team who made history by being the first welsh club to win the prestigious Haig Village Trophy in 1975.

Those players are:

John Morris

John Richards

Mike Rowlands

Colin Airey

Adrian Daniel and

Edward Bevan

The players talk about the team as a whole, the reasons for their success in the competition and the different games they played along the way to get to the final at Lords as well as the final itself.

We also talk about the 5 players from the side who are sadly no longer alive.  They were:

Graham Young

Teifion Davies

Robert Evans

Wayne Harries and

Bill Thomas

The competition remains to this day.  Those interested in learning a little bit more about it can go here:

https://www.nationalvillagecup.com/

The scorecard for the final can be found here:

https://www.nationalvillagecup.com/1975-village-cup-final-gowerton-v-isleham/

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In this episode we meet and talk to members of Swansea Cricket Club about their memories of playing at the iconic St Helen's ground, their feelings about cricket coming to an end there and their hopes and plans for a new future for the club.

Ex players contributing to the podcats are:

Huw Rees

Andrew Roe

Steve Meredith

John Courtney

Stuart Owen

Paul Jones

We also speak to current club secretary Chris Hamilton Smith, Chair Mike Hayden and Treasurer Steve Davies

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As Glamorgan celebrate gaining promotion to Division One of the County Championship, we talk to fans about their memories of the season and their hopes for next year.

Many of the club’s followers have been attending games since the 1950s and 1960s. They’ve seen the highs and the lows.

To whom do they attribute this season’s red ball success and how well do they think the squad is prepared for the challenges of the top tier?

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In this episode we talk to Nick Evans and Bill Carne about the premier cup competition of the Pembrokeshire area, The Harrison-Allen Bowl.

We talk, first, to Nick Evans who has served on the Prmbrokeshire County Club Committee for over 30 years and has a cricketing history of nearly 75 years in the County.

Then we chat to Bill Carne; reporter, radio show host and driving force behind the website Pembrokeshire sport:

http://www.pembrokeshiresport.co.uk/

We hear about the history of the competition, the trophy itself, famous games and performances and clubs that have competed in the final.

Sadly, thus year's bowl final was rearranged twice and was still defeated by the weather so has been postponed until next season.  We will do our best to bring you that game.

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In this episode we meet and talk to Mike Price, longstanding member of Cimla Cricket Club who has researched the club's history and published it in a small pamphlet.

Tom Roberts, scorer at the club from its inception in 1925, bequeathed a complete collection of scorebooks for the club to Mike who has taken an interest in the history of the club ever since.

He talks a little, first, about the village of Cimla before talking about the history of the club, starting in 1925.

Later in the episode we talk to Stuart and Steve Jones, father and son, who have both given many years service to Cimla.

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In this episode we speak to the sister of Mark Portsmouth, longstanding Chair of Mumbles Cricket Club, about her memories of growing up with him.

She is joined on the recordings by the following:

John Blythe (Secretary of Mumbles Cricket Club)

Jaimie Thomas (Mumbles Cricket Club)

Jerry Steele (President Mumbles Cricket Club)

Clive Henson (Chairman, Langland Bay Golf Club)

Alan Bagnall (Mumbles Cricket Club)

Mike Bagnall (Mumbles Cricket Club)

You can read the obituary notice placed on the Mumbles Cricket Club website at the time of his death here:

https://www.mumblescricket.com/?p=18892

Local Mumbles history project, 'The Story of Mumbles', honoured him in this following article:

https://www.storyofmumbles.org.uk/catalogue_item/tribute-to-mark-pompey-portsmouth-may-1957-10-september-2024

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In this episode we talk to aspiring professional cricketer Henry Hurle about his development and his success playing for the Cardiff UCCE (Universiytes Centre for Cricket Excellence)

In particular, we talk about the team's success this season in winning the British Universities and College Sport Cricket Trophy.

If you are feeling brave, below is the 6 hours 29 minute recording of the final at Wormsley Cricket Club:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYkCgYrvncs

Here is a brief profile of Henry from the Glamorgan website:

https://glamorgancricket.com/squad-profile/henry-hurle

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In this episode we talk to three of the Glamorgan Women's squad about their batting success, scoring a hunderd during the 2025 season.  

The three players are Bethan Gammon, Daisy Jeanes and Eve Jackson.

You can watch the recorded live feed of Bethan's hundred against Gloucestershire here:

https://bit.ly/4cZdl5X

The BBC Wales sport report of Daisy's century against Derbyshire, and the scorecard for the game, can be found here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/cwywjx2jzp7o

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/scorecard/e-225591

Eve's hundred came in a Glamorgan academy game against Essex at Newport.

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This episode introduces us to three members of the newly formed Glamorgan semi professional women's cricket team.

Lauren Parfitt, Nicole Reid and Georgia Parfitt talk about their early experiences, how they have developed as cricketers and how they became involved in this first year of professional women's cricket for Glamorgan.

The team's arrival was welcomed on the Glamorgan website in the following way:

https://glamorgancricket.com/news/the-first-county-womens-team-for-glamorgan

The bulk of the squad are still employed outside of the game of cricket so their training and playing has had to be fitted in around their day to day lives.  Their commitment to the cause of Glamorgan and Welsh cricket has been outstanding.

Lauren, Nicole and Georgia talk about what has changed for them this season.  The following inspirational video shows the groups' commitment to the wider goals of inspiring future generations of cricketers:

https://youtu.be/YFGiA8zBSBU

For a list of the remaining women's team fixtures you can go here:

https://glamorgancricket.com/news/glamorgan-womens-fixtures-for-2025-out-now

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In this episode we visit Gorseinon Cricket Club for their second women's softball tournament.

We talk to the four participating teams: Gorseinon, Gowerton, Llandarcy and Neath as well as all those at Gorseinon who helped to make it a succesful event.

In hot weather, the teams played through a long day and the Gowerton team ran out the eventual winners.

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In this episode we meet and talk to a visiting Australian group who are from the Harrow Discovery Centre, a small museum in Victoria Australia.

The museum is dedicated to spreading the story of the first touring Australian sporting side, a group of aboriginal cricketers, who came to the UK in 1868.

Led by an English professional cricketer by the name of Charles Lawrence they played 47 matches stretching from May through to October and, as part of the tour, they came to Swansea. 

The Harrow Discovery Centre has just published the 4th edition of a book about the cricketers and their visit was part of a promotional tour for the book.

Swansea plays quite a significant part in the story they have to tell.  The photograph taken at Swansea on the day of the match, is one of the few surviving photographs of the team.  When Cricket Australia decided to honour the most famous aboriginal cricketer, Johnny Mullagh ( traditional name, Unaarrimin ) by naming a man of the match medal after him, descendants of the players wanted to have an image of the whole team at the centre of the buckle produced.  So now, the Swansea photograph sits at the heart of the Mullagh Medal which is presented to the Man of the Match for the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The episode features speeches and interviews with the Australian party and the Swansea Cricket Club as well as the museum's own Andrew HIgnell.

For those interested in discovering more about the aboriginal team, including Johnny Mullagh, you can visit the Harrow Discovery Centre website here:

https://harrow.org.au/

Fiona Clarke, the descendant of two of the players who was in attendance is an artist who has gained great prominence in recent years in Australia.  You can see her work here:

https://www.fionaclarke.com.au/

The book about the tour, Cricket Walkabout, does not have a UK publisher, but is available via the internet (we will not recommend any particular sites) but you could consider purchasing a copy from the Discovery Centre shop which is available via their website.  All profits from the sale of the book will go towards the work of the discovery centre.

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Just over a year ago we visited Hay-On-Wye to witness the first ever game of cricket played as part of the Literary Festival between the local Hay Club and a celebrity XI picked largely from the ranks of the world famous Authors XI.

This year, the Festival has agreed to making this fixture an integral part of its activities on a day dedicated to a number of sports related meetings and speakers.

This episode of the podcast tries to capture the day, talking to Hay Club stalwarts as well as the celebrities / writers associated with the Authors XI.

Listen out for contributions from:

Ebony Rainford Brent (Broadcaster and ex England cricketer)

Stephen Fry (multi talented broadcaster / actor / writer)

Tom Holland (Historian and co-host of The Rest is History Podcast)

Matt Thacker (MD of company that runs Wisden Cricket Monthly and editor the Wisden Journal The Nightwatchman

Andrew Kojima (Chef and writer)

For those interested in Ebony Rainford-Brent's book, you can purchase a copy here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Test-Match-Special-Everything-greatest/dp/1785949500/ref=asc_df_1785949500?mcid=d17a7a06d32e30188956fe318b91d8bc&th=1&psc=1&hvocijid=7672195198612755959-1785949500-&hvexpln=74&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696285193871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7672195198612755959&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007460&hvtargid=pla-2281435177618&psc=1&gad_source=1

We hope you enjoy the listen

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In this episode we hear Toby talk about about the following:

His coaching philosophy

The coaching process and, in particular, his use of video analysis

The drills he uses with players to correct batting issues or to develop their batting potential

The three stages to change for a batter

His use of WhatsApp as a tool to keep in touch with clients

Toby Radford's Batting Booth

His book, Getting to Grips

The five fundamentals of batting

His best moments as a coach

If you are interested in getting in touch with Toby, head to his website:

https://tobyradfordcricketcoaching.com/

You can purchase his book here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Getting-Grips-Breakdown-Batting-Expanded/dp/1782552847/ref=asc_df_1782552847?mcid=0823a4f8eff3384f8708ca6708c98b97&th=1&psc=1&hvocijid=3078148220777049017-1782552847-&hvexpln=74&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696285193871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3078148220777049017&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007460&hvtargid=pla-2281435177578&psc=1&gad_source=1

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In this episode we talk to ex Glamorgan CCC Coach Toby Radford.  He talks about his early learning of the game, being coached extensively by his father and of his early successes in junior cricket.

We talk about his first class career and then his embarking on a coaching career at the early age of 26.

Toby tells us about how he came to be coach of the Middlesex side and recounts what was probably his gtreatest cricketing exoerience, winning the 2008 T20 Cup with the county.

His next major coaching experience was in the West Indies and Toby recounts the players he worked with and the experience of living in the Carribean.

Along the way we hear about his work with Andrew Strauss, some of his coaching philosophy and he finishes with his reflections on his time at Glamorgan.

For those interested in discovering a little more about Toby, you can visit his website here:

https://tobyradfordcricketcoaching.com/

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In this episode we bring together two Andrews.  One is Andrew Hignell, curator of the museum of welsh cricket and Andrew Renton who is ex-curator at Amgueddfa Cymru, The National Museum of Wales.

Together, they tell the story of a small china cup that was made at the Nantgarw China works at some time between 1820 and 1822.  The dates here are important because the artefact may be the earliest known sporting artefact in Wales.  It depicts a cricketing scene and was decorated by a well known artist who had made a living painting china and porcelain.  His name was Thomas Pardoe.

Andrew Renton makes mention of several places in South Wales where you can see examples of and learn about the porcelain industry in south wales.  Below you will find linkes to these places:

The Nantagrw China Works Museum:

https://www.visitwales.com/attraction/historic-site/nantgarw-china-works-museum-2169291

The National Museum of Wales:

https://www.gov.wales/national-museum-wales

The Glyn Vivian Art Gallery

https://www.glynnvivian.co.uk/

Swansea Museum:

http://www.swanseamuseum.co.uk/

If you know of any further examples of this type of cricketing artefact you can contact Andrew Hignell at the Museum of Welsh Cricket on museum@glamorgancricket.co.uk or via the podcast on mwcpod1921@gmail.com 

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In this episode we talk to Glamorgan CCC top order batter Sam Northeast who, in the first game of last years County Championship went to Lords and managed to compile the highest ever first class innings recorded at the Home of Cricket.

He scored 335 not out in a Glamorgan first innings total of 620 for 3.

You can take a look at the scorecard here:

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/county-championship-division-two-2024-1410192/middlesex-vs-glamorgan-2nd-match-1410264/full-scorecard

This is how reporter Nick Webb covered the story for the BBC:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/68749184

If you would like to watch some of Sam's shots during that innings you can go here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7tmEsD27FA

Here is the article carried on the Glamorgan website with the details of the records Sam broke and set during those two days at Lords:

https://glamorgancricket.com/news/stat-attack-sam-northeast-has-a-day-to-remember-at-lords

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In this episode we talk to Wales Over 50s cricket coach and player Mark Davies.  Mark had a very brief career with Glamorgan CCC before being offered the opportunity to play for Gloucestershire, which he did for 4 seasons in the early 1990s.

For his first-class careers statistics you can go here:

https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/mark-davies-11829

You can also read his profile on the Glamorgan Archives website here:

https://glamorgancricketarchives.com/mark-davies/

For those interested in the Wales Over 50s Cricket Team you can follow their exploits via their Facebook page 'Wales Over 50s Cricket'.

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This season represents an historic departure for Glamorgan CCC as they play both a men's and women's professional team for the first time in their history.

But the path to this point has been a long and arduous journey for women's cricket.

In this episode we talk to Jill Matthews who, as a young Jill Ayres, played a significant role in women's cricket in South Wales during the 1950s and 1960s.

She gives us an insight into what it was like being a woman interested and keen to play cricket at that time,  the difficulties faced by the players in maintaining their organizations and the enjoyment she got from playing the game.

For those of you who would like to learn a little more about the development of the women's game in Wales, you can go here:

https://www.cricketmuseum.wales/the-evolution-of-womens-and-girls-cricket-in-wales-1/

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This episode contains interviews with attenders to the first ever Walkers and Talkers Event held in Wales on February 13th 2025.

Around 80 people turned up to the Museum of Welsh Cricket for a cup of coffee, a gentle stroll around the environs of Sophia Gardens and to listen to ex Glamorgan player and coach Matthew Maynard talk about his cricketing life.

This was the first of what will be a number of Walkers and Talkers Events that will be held in Cardiff in the coming months.

For the next dates and to register for the event YOU CAN GO HERE:

https://glamorgancricket.com/news/walkers-talkers-new-dates

You can learn more about the Walkers and Talkers Organization by going here:

https://www.walkersandtalkers.org/

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In this episode we talk to Steven Reingold who, in a brief short term pro career managed to be part of the Glamorgan One Day Cup winning side in 2021.

Steven's cricketing journey started in the north London club of Stanmore where his father still manages the first XI captained by his brother whilst mum gets involved with making the teas and lots more besides.  Via a gap year in his South African homeland he ended up in Cardiff at Cardiff Met where he came to the attention of Glamorgan's 2nd XI set up.

Alongside his attempts to get a foothold in the professional game, Steven has pursued his interst in sports psychology and will, this year, complete a masters in the subject.  Along with Glamorgan's Kiran Carlson he set up a small business dedicated to, in the words of the organisation,  'sharing experiences and knowledge, educating people on mental skills and challenging others on the mental side of sport. We aim to spread awareness on mental skills in sport and help everyone develop from young athletes and beginner coaches to elite athletes and elite coaches'.

Steven talks to us about his love of the game, playing with his Dad and his brother, playing for Glamorgan and where his ideas about mental skills and sport came from and how he sees them in the game of cricket.

You can visit his podcast platform here:

https://shows.acast.com/talking-mental-skills

And here you can read Kiran Carlson's blog inspired by his work with Steven:

https://kirancarlson15.wordpress.com/ 

Here you can read an article in the Jewish Chronicle about Steven and the GB Team's exploits at the 2022 Maccabi Games:

https://www.thejc.com/life/sport/team-maccabi-gb-make-medal-history-at-21st-maccabiah-games-nqsfd5ga

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In this episode we talk to ex Gloucestershire CCC wicketkeeper Andy Brassington about his social inclusion initiative, Walkers and Talkers.  We are joined by Glamorgan's Mark Frost as we discuss the county's involvement with this.

What started out as a way to keep Andy and his friends going through the pandemic has turned into a rapidly growing idea that has hundreds of people meeting regularly to talk sport, engage in some gentle exercise and enjoy the experience of sharing memories and stories together.

With well established groups in Bristol, Taunton and Worcester, Andy is very excited about bringing the Walkers and Talkers idea to Cardiff, with a new group that will have its first meeting at Sophia Gardens in February.  Mark tells us about how excited Glamorgan CCC about bringing the Walkers and Talkers to Cardiff and shares the details with us.

For those interested in learning more about Walkers and Talkers you can go here:

https://www.walkersandtalkers.org/

You can read and watch a video about Andy's Outstanding Contribution Award from the PCA here:

https://www.thepca.co.uk/press-release/brassy-wins-outstanding-contribution-award/

The first Walkers and Talkers Group Meeting in Cardiff takes place on Thursday 13th February at 10:00am with Matt Maynard as the first speaker.  You can read about it here:

https://glamorgancricket.com/news/walkers-talkers-arrives-at-glamorgan

AND YOU CAN REGISTER YOUR INTEREST IN ATTENDING HERE:

https://bit.ly/4g4IcxA

And finally, if you are interested in supporting the work of the Walkers and Talkers initiative you can donate via their Just Giving Page:

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/walkersandtalkers

I hope you enjoy the listen and hope you have a great time if you go to the inaugural event at Sophia Gardens.

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In this episode we talk to long time club professional and coach Brad Wadlan.

We talk about his early cricketing experiences and his time playing for Cardiff Met.  Brad talks about his time in Australia and how that impacted his life as well as his cricket.

We talk about his experience with the Unicorns cricket club and his time playing for the Mid West Rhinos in Zimbabwe.

Brad talks about he has always been a 'leader' and how that influenced his development as a coach.  He mentions how all his experiences have made him grow as a player and as a coach and how he feels his approach to coaching has brought success to the clubs he has coached at.

Brad came to Swansea Cricket Club in 2019 and has achieved incredible success with them.  He talks about these achievements and the individuals who have helped Swansea with that success.

Brad shares his thoughts on the state of club cricket in south wales and offers some of his suggestions on how to raise the level of performance across the Premier League and beyond.

Finally, we talk about him taking on a course to become a Level 4 cricket coach and he finishes with a few names he feels we might hear more of in the future.

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In this episode we look back at the year of podcasts, picking out a few highlights, as we go.

There are a few comments at the beginning of the episode about Glamorgan's record breakers of the 2024 season.

In the episode, you will find clips featuring the following:

Mathew Maynard
Ossie Wheatley
Steve Barwick
Alun Clement and Gareth Edwards of Christchurch Cricket Club
Stuart Williams of Haverfordwest Cricket Club
Ernie Barber of Blaina Cricket Club (with thanks to Alan Rees at the Lords Museum for providing this audio)
Umpire Anna Harris
Amit Shivani  (Swansea Strikers) and  Ataur Rahman Jaber  (Swansea Warriors)
Tim Davies of Hay-On-Wye Cricket Club
Adam Rutherford of The Authors XI
Ray Cox and Mark Jones of Port Talbot Town Cricket Club 
Joe Lambe of Cricket Wales and Llandudno Cricket Club
Professor Michael Wilson of Loughborough University
and finally, Henderson Springer once of Haverfordwest Cricket Club.

A big thank you to all those who have been guests on the podcast in the last year and to all those who have listened to it.  I look forward to bringing you more stories about the great game of cricket from Wales in 2025.

Don't forget, if you have a story to tell, please get in touch via Facebook, X or by email: mwcpod1921@gmail.com

Very Best wishes to all those who play, watch or participate in the game of cricket in Wales.  We will see you in 2025!

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In this episode we talk to Jo Pockett of the ECB and Ahmed Khan and Adnan Haddidi of Llandaff Cricket Club about the Taste of Cricket cookbook, which was produced as part of the wider Raising the Game initiative aimed at improving the diversity of those playing the game and making it a more inclusive and equally accessed sport.

You can read about the cookbook here:

https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/4167334/taste-of-cricket-a-new-cookbook-celebrating-diversity-in-the-game-launches-with-a-host-of-star-contributors

If you would like to buy a copy of the book you can do so here:

https://shop.ecb.co.uk/collections/accessories-1

As part of the campaign,  Phil Salt and TV chef Chris Bavin visited Llandaff in the summer.  The video capturing that day can be accessed here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuVtq6EBXs4

In the episode we talk first to Jo Pockett who outlines the campaign of which Taste of Cricket is a part as well as the details of how the book was planned and made.  Then Ahmed and Adnan talk about the Llandaff club and the recipe, 'Leek Bhaji' which they contributed to the cookbook.

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In this episode we meet the cricketing Smale Family from Newport.  Mum, Ann-Marie is Deputy Chair at Glamorgan CCC and formed part of the team charged with winning a Tier 1 franchise for the women's game in Wales earlier this year.  Sophia and Will are both professional cricketers, making their way in the game after having both been young cricketers at the Newport club.

For more on Ann-Marie you can go here:

https://glamorgancricket.com/board-leadership

And you can read about Glamorgan's bid to bring Tier 1 Women's Cricket to the club here:

https://glamorgancricket.com/news/glamorgan-bid-for-tier-1-professional-women%E2%80%99s-cricket-team

You can read about Sophia Smale's career to date here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/66473326

And see her in action here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOGXJOET0to

We talk about her caught and bowled in last season's The Hundred.  You can see that here:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/W2t8FjZs4zE

You can read a little more about Will here:

https://glamorgancricket.com/squad-profile/will-smale

And see him batting in the One-Day Cup Final at Trent Bridge here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkszYmNfE6s

The Smale Family is quite unique with mum, son and daughter all involved in the professional game.  They talk about their background, the way they play and their top tips for aspiring professional cricketers AND their parents.