Don Shepherd
(Glamorgan career 1950-72)
The Australians have their legendary
Don and so do the Welsh. Don Shepherd
took 2,174 first-class wickets for
Glamorgan, mainly with offcutters,
yet never won an England cap; never
has such a weight of wickets gone
unrecognised. It was while deputising
as captain for Tony Lewis that Don had
perhaps his fi nest hour, with victory
over the 1968 Australians. Shep used all
his nous in masterminding one of the greatest wins in the club's history - and
all watched by a capacity crowd that had
thronged into Swansea's seaside ground
and caused such a jam that some players
had to park almost a mile away and
walk. But it was worth it. Welsh folk
songs and hymns rang out as Don led
his victorious team up the many steps
to the old Swansea pavilion, where the
victory was toasted long into the night,
together with the feats of one of Wales's
finest gentlemen - Don Shepherd.
Roland Lefebvre
(1993-95)
"Roly is a Welshman, Roly is a Welshman,
La la lah, La la lah" - that chant echoed
round Glamorgan's grounds in 1993, as
the team won the Sunday League title,
and bore testament to how the Welsh
public had taken the Dutch allrounder
to their heart. Time and again Lefebvre
would produce a miserly opening spell
and, together with the offcutter Steve
Barwick, another unsung hero, his
accuracy would put batsmen under
pressure. Then, as the opposition tried
to hit their way out of trouble, Roly
would more often than not hold on to
a running catch in the deep - usually
diving and rolling on the turf before
rising with ball held high to tumultuous
applause from his many fans. Sadly a
severe groin injury ended his Glamorgan
career prematurely but in the space
of three fi ne summers the affable
Dutchman had become an adopted son
- and a most popular one.
Whenever Glamorgan were playing
at home before the school holidays,
countless excuses would be made
so that youngsters could get to the
ground in time to see Alan Jones bat.
In 1968 he was enjoying the purplest of
patches when the Australians arrived
at Swansea, and the ground was packed
with schoolboys young and old. As Alan
reached 99 the clamour hit a fevered
pitch and he charged to play a lofted
drive against Ashley Mallett. There was
a brief lull as the ranks of spectators
realised their hero had been caught at
deep mid-on before a deafening ovation,
in recognition of a man described by
John Arlott as "modest, kind, cheerful
[and] personable". The England selectors
continued to look elsewhere (Jones's
36,049 fi rst-class runs and no Test caps
provided an unwanted world record)
but his adoring fans throughout the
Principality remained loyal.
Usually arriving to loud applause, `The
Panda', as he was affectionately known
because of his squat physique and
shambling walk to the wicket, would
regularly treat his fans to a display of
bold and uninhibited strokeplay from
the lower order. His stay was often brief
but to the delight of his supporters he
struck a career-best 80 in his benefi t
match at the Arms Park against the
1951 South Africans. For a while, as his
side followed on, it looked as though
his display of fearlessness would bring
a maiden fi rst-class hundred. Instead
it became one of 11 fi fties in county
colours, to go with 581 catches and
203 stumpings - often executed with
a vociferous roar and followed by a
mighty cheer from delighted spectators.
How many cricketers would say "No
thanks" if invited to play for England,
especially if it was for a Test against
Australia? But that is what Johnnie
Clay - the great Glamorgan offspinner
- did in 1938, telling the selectors he
was carrying a slight leg injury and, to
be on the safe side, they ought to pick
a younger and fi tter man. It followed a
remarkable summer in 1937 when his
powers of fl ight and spin resulted in a
club-record 176 victims. But international
success did not really interest Clay - his
heart lay with Glamorgan, for whom he
had spent many a long hour as treasurer.
With his friend Maurice Turnbull he
brought respectability to the club in the
1930s, converting a rising defi cit into a
healthy profit. His high, classical action
was copied by many youngsters. Sadly
the Second World War intevened and
Turnbull died in Normandy in 1944.
Four years later, and by now a greyhaired
veteran, Clay took the wicket that
clinched Glamorgan's first Championship.