A Podcast interviewing a range of people from all areas of the great country of Wales who have a connection with or a story to tell about the great game of cricket.
Tell us what you think of this episodeIn this episode we hear Toby talk about about the following:His coaching philosophyThe coaching process and, in particular, his use of video analysisThe drills he uses with players to correct batting issues or to develop their batting potentialThe three stages to change for a batterHis use of WhatsApp as a tool to keep in touch with clientsToby Radford's Batting BoothHis book, Getting to GripsThe five fundamentals of battingHis best moments as a coachIf 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
Tell us what you think of this episodeIn 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/
Tell us what you think of this episodeIn 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-2169291The National Museum of Wales:https://www.gov.wales/national-museum-walesThe Glyn Vivian Art Galleryhttps://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
Tell us what you think of this episodeIn 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-scorecardThis is how reporter Nick Webb covered the story for the BBC:https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/68749184If you would like to watch some of Sam's shots during that innings you can go here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7tmEsD27FAHere 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
Tell us what you think of this episodeIn 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-11829You 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'.
Tell us what you think of this episodeThis 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/
Tell us what you think of this episodeThis 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-datesYou can learn more about the Walkers and Talkers Organization by going here:https://www.walkersandtalkers.org/
Tell us what you think of this episodeIn 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-skillsAnd 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
Tell us what you think of this episodeIn 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-glamorganAND YOU CAN REGISTER YOUR INTEREST IN ATTENDING HERE:https://bit.ly/4g4IcxAAnd 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/walkersandtalkersI hope you enjoy the listen and hope you have a great time if you go to the inaugural event at Sophia Gardens.
Tell us what you think of this episodeIn 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.
Tell us what you think of this episodeIn 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 MaynardOssie WheatleySteve BarwickAlun Clement and Gareth Edwards of Christchurch Cricket ClubStuart Williams of Haverfordwest Cricket ClubErnie Barber of Blaina Cricket Club (with thanks to Alan Rees at the Lords Museum for providing this audio)Umpire Anna HarrisAmit Shivani (Swansea Strikers) and Ataur Rahman Jaber (Swansea Warriors)Tim Davies of Hay-On-Wye Cricket ClubAdam Rutherford of The Authors XIRay Cox and Mark Jones of Port Talbot Town Cricket Club Joe Lambe of Cricket Wales and Llandudno Cricket ClubProfessor Michael Wilson of Loughborough Universityand 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.comVery Best wishes to all those who play, watch or participate in the game of cricket in Wales. We will see you in 2025!
Tell us what you think of this episodeIn 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-contributorsIf you would like to buy a copy of the book you can do so here:https://shop.ecb.co.uk/collections/accessories-1As 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=OuVtq6EBXs4In 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.
Tell us what you think of this episodeIn 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-leadershipAnd 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-teamYou can read about Sophia Smale's career to date here:https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/66473326And see her in action here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOGXJOET0toWe talk about her caught and bowled in last season's The Hundred. You can see that here:https://www.youtube.com/shorts/W2t8FjZs4zEYou can read a little more about Will here:https://glamorgancricket.com/squad-profile/will-smaleAnd see him batting in the One-Day Cup Final at Trent Bridge here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkszYmNfE6sThe 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.
Tell us what you think of this episodeThis episode is a chat with Adge John of Saundersfoot Cricket Club.Adge made the local newpaper headlines in the summer when he finished being scorer for the club. Nothing unusual in that you might think but when you learn that he has been suffering with a debilitating eye disease all his life and is slowly losing his sight, his efforts appear nothing short of amazing.To read Adge's story you can go here:https://www.connectpembrokeshire.co.uk/news/2024/september/no-barrier-too-great-for-cricket-scorer-adge-john/We talk to Adge about his sporting life, his struggles with his deteriorating eyesight and his final game as scorer, The Harrison-Allen Bowl Final 2024.For those interested in an account of Adge's final game as scorer, you can go here:http://www.pembrokeshiresport.co.uk/cricket/lawrenny-beat-saundersfoot-in-a-tense-final-thrillerFor those interested in learning a little more about the work of the welsh Guide Dog Charity, go here:https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/guide-dogs-cymru/
Tell us what you think of this episodeIn this episode we hear from Newport Cricket Club's Michael Clayden who, this season, became the first player in the history of the South wales Premier League to reach 200 appearances and to score over 6,000 runs in the league.He has played all his junior and senior cricket for the Newport Club and this loyalty shines through in his inetrview that talks about his batting development, his cricketing heroes, memorable innings and, more recently, his coaching and his captaincy.The epitome of the one club man, Michael has played at the top end of recreational cricket in Wales for 25 years. His memories and his thoughts tell us a lot about him as a person but also provide some great insights on the game for all cricketers.
Tell us what you think of this episodeIn this episode we talk to ex Glamorgan seam bowler Steve 'Basil' Barwick.You can read about Steve's first class career here:https://glamorgancricketarchives.com/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:https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/schweppes-county-championship-1983-468579/worcestershire-vs-glamorgan-470263/full-scorecardSteve 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.
Tell us what you think of this episodeIn 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:https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/hendy-springer-53004http://www.pembrokeshiresport.co.uk/home/henderson-says-hello-to-his-pembrokeshire-cricketing-friendsYou can hear an interview with him on this Facebook link:https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=192877061657624And an article in Barbados today about Hendy's return to the island and its cricket community:https://barbadostoday.bb/2020/06/19/springer-returns-as-crickets-coaching-boss/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.
Tell us what you think of this episodeThe 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 WalesOne character from the early years of the club was John Henry Philipss. You can read about him here:https://www.cricketmuseum.wales/the-pembrokeshire-cricketer-who-became-president-of-the-mcc/ 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.
Tell us what you think of this episodeIn this, the second part of our chat with Martin, umpire with the South West Wales Association of Cricket Association, we talk in more detail about his experiences in Chennai, India at the International Masters Cricket Over 60s World Cup earlier this year.He begins by telling us about the celebrations at the British Consulate in Chennai for the King's Birthday which he attended whilst at the tournament and which was one of the great highlights of the trip for him.We talk about the first round robin round of the tournament and Martin's memories of that. England and Australia were the standout teams. Although Martin did not watch them, the Welsh side did really well (finishing 5th overall in the competition).Martin talks about reflecting on his performance and how important that is for umpires generally. He regretted not being able to stand with one of the local Indian umpires.After the round robin phase there were group positions so then the top of Group A played the second in Group B. Effectively, these were semi finals but there were also games involving all the nations involved to give final placings. Martin was chosen to umpire the semi final between Australia and New Zealand. He describes the game and Australia's comfortable victory.No one knew who would be umpiring the Final although it would have to be a neutral umpire. As it would be played between England and Australia, Martin, as the sole umpire from Wales, was in with a shout. All the international umpires thought the final would go to the Indian umpires. However, after some delay on the evening before the final, at about 9pm, Martin discovered he was one of the three umpires chosen to officiate at the final. A further wait happened until it was confirmed that he would be one of the on-field umpires.Martin describes his feelings of nerves and excitement at the prospect of officiating at such an important game.Martin describes the unusual feeling of participating in such a big occasion but that it was happening without much of a focus on it. It was still one of six games that were taking place on the same day.We talk about a serious incident which took place at the tournament, with a player experiencing a 'mild' heart attack. All the umpires stressed this to all the players before the final. He then talks to us about the ground where the final took place as well as all the grounds and the wickets in general.England got a below par score, for them, in the 160s. Australia were a fantastic bowling team and pinned England back with them losing wickets regularly. Australia won with 4 or 5 overs and 8 wickets to spare. The celebrations were rather muted but Martin felt that this was rather inevitable given the way the tournament had been organised.Martin described the closing ceremony which took place two days after the final and what he received as a participating official. He concludes with some final reflections on the experience.
Tell us what you think of this episodeThis episode features the first installment of my chat with cricket umpire Martin Wale.We begin with a bit of onomatology! Quite a departure for us. We then get on to more familiar territory, talking about Martin's growing up in Coventry and getting to watch Warwickshire CCC at the Corthaulds Ground in the city.Martin talks about his love of the detail of what goes on on a cricket field, stumpings v run outs, the lbw rule and so on. Martin can thank his wife for getting him involved in umpiring, prompting him to approach the South Wales Cricket Association in 2004. He used to watch games at the Mumbles Cricket Club as well as visiting St Helens.Martin talks about his mentor Huw Rees who stood with him for the whole of his first season of umpiring. Huw sadly passed away in recent times, but Martin remembers him fondly. Leighton James was playing in his first game as an umpire and Martin gave him out first ball lbw. He talks about how conflicted he felt about making that decision.Martin goes on to talk about what he feels about umpiring. In particular, he focuses on the ‘man management' involved in umpiring and the team working involved in umpiring.Before talking about the Over 60s World Cup, Martin relates the story of his involvement in the Over 50s World Cup in South Africa in 2020. The Tournament was abandoned half way through the first round of games as the Soth African Government declared their lock down. Martin and some members of his family were amongst the last few people to leave the country and returned back to a country that was 10 days into its first national lockdown. An incredible part of his story.Martin talks about the setting up of the International Masters Cricket organization and the ‘regularizing' of international seniors cricket. This included the setting up of IMCUP (International Masters Cricket Umpires Panel). It was as a member of this panel that Martin found out about the Over 60s World Cup in Chennai earlier this year.Those interested in finding out about Masters Cricket can link to the ICM website here:https://masterscricket.org/o60swc-2024/Much of the preparation for going to India took place through a WhatsApp group. Martin talked us through some of the things that were discussed here. He relates his excitement about what lay ahead.We then talk about the tournament organisation and the surprising revelation that the umpires did not know which game they were going to officiate in until the evening before the game. Martin talked about some of the travel arrangements to and from the grounds.We hear about Martin's impressions of Chennai which was, in his words, ‘chaotic, noisy, and dusty':https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chennai He then describes getting around in the ubiquitous Tuk Tuk's:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_rickshawHe's overall impressions of the people were that they were very welcoming and friendly. Martin discovered Dosa's. See here for more details:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dosa_(food)We finish this part of our chat with Martin running through some of the details of the umpiring organisation at the tournament including the arrangements for coping with the heat and humidity prevailing across the City.
Tell us what you think of this episodeIn this episode we make use of the MCC Sound Archive to bring you the story of Blaina Cricket Club.The MCC project, Taking the Field was aimed at recording the oral history of cricket clubs throughout the breadth of the UK. Members of the Blaina Cricket Club had already started recording their history for a published book.The book can be bought here:https://welsh-academic-press.shopfactory.com/contents/en-uk/p12_Blaenau-Cricket-Club.htmlThe Facebook page of the project still exists and can be found here:facebook.com/takingthefieldWe talked to Emma Peplow, who was the full time officer with Taking the Field and Alan Williams, long time member and Chairperson of Blaina Cricket Club. Interspersed with our interview with Emma and Alan are excerpts from the MCC Sound Archive. We have interviews with the following:Diane WilliamsAlan WilliamsDavid JonesAlan Lewisand Ernie BarberWe hear about the history of the club going back to its earliest beginnings in the 19th Century and it's high point in the early 20th Century.Emma and Alan talk about one of the highlights of the project which was being interviewed on the Test Match Special lunchtime slot during the Test Match against Sri Lanka.Alan tells us about the early sponsorship of the club and one of the outstanding individuals who helped keep the club going in the 1920s, Evan Watkins. His wikipaedia page is here:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evan_WatkinsEmma tells us about the international dimension of Taking the Field
Tell us what you think of this episodeOssie begins by talking about his experiences as Chairman of Glamorgan CCC and the difficulties cricket and Glamorgan faced in the late 1970s and early 1980s.We move swiftly talking about the Kerry Packer Circus and it's impact on the game. Ossie mentions the Tony Grieg affair which arose out of this and then talks about the Gatting affair in 1988 when England captain Mike Gatting was caught on camera pointing his finger at Pakistani umpire Shakoor Rana. For more on that you can go herehttps://www.wisden.com/cricket-news/the-gatting-rana-fall-out-when-a-whole-day-of-test-cricket-was-lost-to-a-player-umpire-argumentWe then move to talking about the idea of a UK Board of Cricket. By the way Ossie gives us a little bit of history about the role of the MCC. Ossie tells the story of the England AND WALES Cricket Board and how it came to be called that and the implications of that for the development of the first class game and it's various academies and pathway organisations.After finishing his work as an administrator with the first class game, Ossie talks about his involved with the founding and development of what was called the Cricket Foundation but what became the Chance to Shine Charity. In particular, we hear the story of how the ex Governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, got involved and managed to get a huge investment form the government of the day to take cricket into primary schools.We talk about Ossie's involvement with the Sports Council of Wales and he talks at length about Tom Cartwright's involvement as a coach in welsh cricket.Ossie reflects on the game today with particularly interesting comments about the County Championship and Test cricket, including ‘Baz Ball'. We end with Ossie's thoughts on welsh cricket and the need to produce some more of our homegrown talent.
Tell us what you think of this episodeIn this episode we return to our chat with Ossie Wheatley. He finished as a player in 1969 but before that he was already becoming involved in the administration of the game.To begin, he gives us an outline of his career, noting his involvement with English cricket form 1963 onwards. He tells us the various committees on which he served and the roles he undertook including being a Test selector. Latterly, he took up positions with the Sports Council of Wales. Along the way he gives a bit of background to his career including his recollections of the development of junior cricket in Wales. Most importantly, he intervened during the development of the ECB to ensure that the organisation would be known as the England and Wales Cricket Board, an insertion that became crucial, amongst other things, to attracting Test cricket to Wales in 2009.He asserts his belief in the importance of successful elite sports teams in the development of cricket in any particular place.We talk a little about Leslie Deakins, ex secretary of Warwickshire County Cricket Club and his impact on the club and creating Edgbaston as a Test ground.We talk about the Clarke Report in 1965, what it set out to do, who was part of the committee and what it achieved. Along the way he talks about the nature of professional cricketers and the way they ensure they control the developments in the game and what might be the best way for cricket to develop. He airs his concern that developments today may mean the success of a few ‘super' clubs at the expense of the others.He talks about the experience of being a Test selector which he was for two years from 1972 to 1974.We finish this episode by talking about how Ossie became Chairman of Glamorgan County Cricket Club in 1976. The team was experiencing a crisis with player sackings, Majid Khan leaving the club and a challenge to the committees running of the club. He talks about his deep concerns over the involvement of overseas players in the game and how it brought him to the point of standing down from the chairman's role. He also talks about the poor facilities that existed in Wales for elite cricket and how that impacted on Glamorgan's fortunes.We talk briefly about Glamorgan's visit to Lords in 1977 for the Gillette Cup Final and end with Ossie's reflections on Glamorgan as a club and where it was in the late 70s and early 80s.
Tell us what you think of this episodeIn this episode we visit Hay-On-Wye Cricket Club which hosted a game against an All Stars XI from the Hay Literary Festival at the end of May.We hear from club members and officials as they talk about their club as well as their preparations for this historic game.If you are interested in finding out more about the Authors XI you can do so here:https://www.authorscc.co.uk/Their book and other publications associated with the authors can be purchased here:https://www.authorscc.co.uk/cricket-publicationsAnyone interested in playing cricket for the Hay Club or interested in what they do can contact the current secretary Tim Davies in the following ways:timdhaycc@gmail.com07964625755 (mobile)
Tell us what you think of this episode In this episode we bring together the biographer of Maurice Turbull, the museum's own Andrew Hignell and sports writer Bill Williams who's recent article about Maurice gave us the title of this episode.Andrew's book can be purchased here:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Turnbull-Welsh-Sporting-Andrew-Hignell/dp/0752421840Bill's article can be read here:https://www.playingpasts.co.uk/articles/football/maurice-turnbull-was-he-britains-most-complete-all-round-sportsman/After Bill telling us a little bit about the newly discovered photo of Maurice, Andrew gives us a comprehensive outline of Maurice's sporting life, focusing on his first class cricket career with Glamorgan.We talk about his sporting achievements, what he was like as a player in cricket, rugby and hockey as well as his prowess as a leader of the Glamorgan County Club.We discuss the possibility of Maurice being Britain's greatest ever all round sportsman and the episode finishes with Andrew very poignantly telling the story of Maurice Turnbull's death after the D Day Landings.
Tell us what you think of this episodeIn 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.
Tell us what you think of this episodeWe 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.
Tell us what you think of this episodeWe 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:http://www.thebalconiers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/%E2%80%98Ossie%E2%80%99s-Tamed-the-Aussies%E2%80%99-Balconiers-Ossie-Wheatley-article.pdf
Tell us what you think of this episodeIn 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/151870402830Their Twitter (X) handle is @CCCCFerndaleThank 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.
Tell us what you think of this episodeThis 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.
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:John Major's ‘More Than a Game':https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/more-than-a-game-the-story-of-crickets-early-years-john-major?variant=39571071696974Peter Oborne's ‘Wounded Tiger: A History of Cricket in Pakistan'https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/Wounded-Tiger/Peter-Oborne/9781849832489Peter Obourne ‘Basil D'Oliveira, Cricket and Conspiracy: The Untold Story'https://www.littlebrown.co.uk/titles/peter-oborne/basil-doliveira/9780751534887/+/David Woodehouse ‘Who Only Cricket Know: Hutton's Men in the West Indies 53/54':https://www.waterstones.com/book/who-only-cricket-know/david-woodhouse/9781909811591Prashant Kadambi ‘Cricket Country: An Indian Odyssey in the Age of Empire':https://www.waterstones.com/book/cricket-country/prashant-kidambi/9780198843146Future publications that are upcoming are:David Kynaston and Harry Ricketts ‘Richie Benaud's Blue Suede Shoes: The Story of an Ashes Classic':https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/richie-benauds-blue-suede-shoes-9781526670274/this is published on 23rd May 2024Leo McKinstry ‘Bill Edrich: The Many Lives of Englands Cricket Great':https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/bill-edrich-9781399407823/this is published on 18th July 2024Jeremy Lonsdale ‘An Unusual Celebrity: The Many Cricketing Lives of Bill Bowed':https://www.pitchpublishing.co.uk/shop/unusual-celebritythis is published on 10th June 2024 Neil also talks about his book, The Long Shot Summer: The Year of Four England Cricket Captains. You can read more about it here:https://www.amberley-books.com/long-shot-summer-the-year-of-four-england-cricket-captains-1988.htmlAfter this literary excursion, Neil outlines the staff group at the Museum. They are:Alan ReesCharlotte GoodhewHeather LomasMatthew HoweNeil 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:https://www.lords.org/mcc/heritage-collections/what-we-do
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:https://www.lords.org/lords/conferences-and-events/museumFor those who are interested in learning a little more about Neil and his work, you can read a transcribed interview with him here:https://www.cricketcountry.com/articles/interview-neil-robinson-the-library-and-research-manager-at-lords-293870/Back in 2020 during lock-down, Neil was a guest on the wonderful Oborne and Heller on Cricket Podcast. To listen, go here:https://chiswickcalendar.co.uk/episode-22-talking-with-mccs-head-of-heritage-and-collections-neil-robinson/
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:https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/sep/24/england-women-india-third-one-day-international-cricketWe then talk about a few od Anna's special memries so far as an umpire including the 2023 Ashes Series:https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/jun/26/england-australia-womens-ashes-test-match-ash-gardner-cricket-reportWe 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=656508298940893https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpMhmMeT6skAnd 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
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-wellsSue 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 networkSue 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=3Zc2NK8YmP4Rewarding 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:sue.wells@cricketwales.org.uk
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
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:https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/mattwellymanwalk
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.To donate to the Walk, go here:https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/mattwellymanwalkPlease try to ensure that Matt reaches his target of £20,000
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:https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/mattwellymanwalkIt would be a great way to show our thanks to Matt for the service he has given both as a player and coach to ensure he reaches his £20,000 target.Join us next week for the next installment of the chat with Matt.
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.Thanks Joe !!
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:https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/mattwellymanwalkThe episodes featuring Matt will begin on Friday March 8th
In this episode we interview three stalwarts of the Pirates cricket team, Port Talbot Town Cricket Club. They are, in no particular order:Mark JonesIan Rees Ray CoxWe 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 storyWe 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.
In this episode we look back at some of the podcasts from last year.The episodes covered are:Three Englishmen of WalesSpecial Episode: Walking in the Valleys for Young CricketersSt. Helen's: A Tribute (Part 1)Heroes and Headlines: St Helen's: A Tribute (Part 2)Special Episode: Walking in the Valleys for Young CricketersLucy Norman - Taking the Game Forward in North WalesWales National County (North): An Interview with Russell Penrhyn JonesThe Welsh Cup100th Episode: The Appliance of Science: An Interview with Rob AhmunFirst-Class Batting: Glamorgan and NorthamptonshireNeath Cricket Club - 175th AnniversaryHook Cricket Club: Happy 100th YearPaul Rees: Our man with the MCCLast Man Bowling: An Interview with Ron Walton
This weeks episode is an interview with two cricketers who have turned their love of the game into a fledgling business.Rich describes how his pastime of making things with wood turned to repairing bats for friends and other club members and persuaded him to set up a business to deliver bat refurbishment to the wider cricketing community.The boys describe how the business has grown organically, turning first to providing new bats and then to offer a small selection of cricket gear.Anyone interested in contacting Rich or Hedd to discuss what they can offer, their mobile numbers are as follows:Rich 07970 498350 Hedd 07950200211You can follow them on X and instagram here:X - @bats_bearIntagram - @bear_bats
Jean Silvan Evans had a successful career as a journalist and lecturer. Her husband, also a journalist, was a keen supporter of Glamorgan County Cricket Club. To keep him company, Jean would sometimes attend a day at the cricket with no intention of watching and little interest in what happened the other side of that boundary rope.Slowly, with the help of Glamorgan's travelling supporters group the St Helen's Balconiers, Jean began not only to watch more of the play but also fell in love with what she calls 'the slow drama of county cricket'.When Jean's husband Dennis passed away, her trips away with the Balconiers became not only a way of remembering him but also a source of comfort and friendship for her.She talks about her growing interest in and affection for the game of cricket as well as commenting on the future for Glamorgan and the importance of county cricket to the future of Test cricket.For those interested in the work of the St Helen's Balconiers, in particular their regular trips to other county grounds, you can go here:http://www.thebalconiers.co.uk/
In this episode we look at two County Championship match second innings' separated by 25 years.The first took place during the 1998 season between Northants and Glamorgan at Wantage Road. In their second innings, Mal Loye hit an incredible 322 not out as Northants saved the game with a second innings 712. For the details of the game, you can go here:http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1998/ENG_LOCAL/CC/R04/NORTHANTS_GLAM_CC_21-24MAY1998.htmlThe second took place in May 2023 at Hove where Sussex hosted Glamorgan. After conceding a huge lead in their first innings Glamorgan amassed 737 runs in their second, breaking several records on the way to securing a draw. For Wisden's record of the match you can go here:https://wisden.com/matches/live/214135/sussex-v-glamorgan-at-hove-lv=-insurance-county-championship-18-21-may-2023Northants had held the record for the highest second innings in a first class match before Glamorgan came along and snatched it from them.On this podcast we talk to Mal Loye and Tony Cottee, the Glamorgan captain in that game in 1998 as well as club archivists and historians of Northamptonshire and Glamorgan, Andrew Radd and Andrew Hignell about that game at Wantage Road. We also catch up with Glamorgan batter Kiran Carlson and talk to him about his career best to date of 192 in the match at Hove as well as the other Glamorgan players who contributed to the record breaking innings.For a full list of all the records achieved at Hove you can go here:https://glamorgancricket.com/news/stat-attack-glamorgan-set-a-new-world-record-at-hoveTake a look at this list, compiled by Andrew Radd, of the top ten first class innings for Northants:https://nccc.co.uk/news/northamptonshires-10-best-first-class-innings/And finally, for more Glamorgan batting records you can go here:https://glamorgancricketarchives.com/batting-records/
This week's episode is a chat with members of the Hook Cricket Club that, this year has celebrated its centenary. We talk to: Dave Petrie who outlines the history of the village as well as charting the history of the cricket club.Jamie Phelps shares with us the state of the club today and how they have gone about their centenary celebrations.President Evan Martin shares his memories and his love of the game of cricket as well as his beloved Hook Cricket Club. You can read a little bit about one of the events they held over the summer here: https://www.herald.wales/west-wales/pembrokeshire/special-match-to-mark-hook-cricket-clubs-centenary-year/http://www.pembrokeshiresport.co.uk/cricket/former-england-players-to-celebrate-hook-centenaryYou can follow the club's exploits on X at @HookCricketClub and on Facebook
This week's episode is an interview with the Head of Performance Science and Medicine at the ECB, Rob Ahmun.Originally from Cardiff Rob was a strength and conditioning coach with Glamorgan before his move to the England Team in 2014. He talks to us about his sporting journey and career to date.Here is a page from the ECB website detailing the work of Rob's Department:https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/2104536/scieHere is an article from the University of Essex detailing some of the research that Rob mentions in his interview:https://www.essex.ac.uk/news/2022/07/12/england-cricket-team-is-fitter-than-ever
In this episode we talk to those involved in the 51st Final of this competition. They are, in order that they appear in the episode:Steve Davies, workforce administrator, South West Wales Zack Gidlow , Chair of cricket at Colwyn Bay Cricket Club and first team playerMike Haydn, Chair of Swansea Cricket ClubNeil Perrett, Chair, Usk Cricket ClubBrad Wadlan, Captain, Swansea Cricket ClubSion Morris, Colwyn Bay Cricket ClubYou can find a written report on the final here:https://cricketwales.org.uk/news/senior-open-welsh-cup-final-2023-colwyn-bay-cc-v-swansea-ccYou can find some great stats about the Welsh Cup here:https://nwsport.co.uk/2023/09/03/all-hail-colwyn-bay-2023-cricket-welsh-cup-winners/We would like to add our congratulations to the Colwyn Bay Cricket Club2023 Welsh Cup Winners !
In this episode we remember long time treasurer with the St Helen's Balconiers Clive Hemp.We talk to his children, David, Tim and Charlotte as well as his colleagues from the Balconiers Committee Allan Gray and Roger Skyrme, Swansea solicitor and main sponsor of the Swansea and West Wales cricket Festival Peter Lynne.Our final guest who remembers Clive is Balconiers President Alan Jones. Ex-Glamorgan cricketer and coach Alan has been President of Glamorgan County Cricket Club as well as the St Helen's Balconiers.They talk about his time as a cricketer and the support he gave his two cricketing sons. His personal qualities; a generosity of spirit, an egalitarian outlook and a people centered approach influenced not only his career as a cricketer but also his business life as a successful accountant.Encouraged by his contact with Balconiers Chairman John Williams, Clive became an integral part of the organisation, using his business contacts to build sponsorship for the annual Swansea and West Wales Cricket Festival which was the jewel in the Balconiers crown.All our guests paint a picture of a man who loved his sport, loved Glamorgan and made a great many friends through the world of cricket.
Paul Rees is a popular club cricketer who has played most of his cricket in and around Swansea as well as a number of representative teams at age group and league level.He talks to us about his early cricketing experiences and how he developed as a cricketer. In passing we talk about his rugby career and how that impacted on his cricket.Paul explains how he developed his strengths as a batsman but also how his bowling was what he was noted for early on in his career.He is rightly very proud of his involvement with the MCC, first as a player member and latterly as the organisation's representative for Wales. He has played over 100 times for them and explains his pride at being able to attend Test Matches at Lords and be present in the Long Room getting close to cricket's world superstars.Here are the details of how to become a member of the MCC:https://www.lords.org/mcc/the-club/how-to-joinHere are the MCC's results for their fixtures played so far this season:https://www.lords.org/mcc/mcc-cricket/mcc-fixtures?region=Wales&display=resultsIf you are part of a club that may be interested in having a fixture against MCC you can contact Paul via his Twitter feed @PaulRees10 OR send us an email here at the podcast and we will ensure it gets to PaulOur email is mwcpod1921@gmail.com
Ron Walton has spent a lifetime playing professional and amateur sport. A footballer with Merthyr Town he went on to play professionally in Australia before starting a coaching career that saw him spend 18 seasons at Swansea City coaching the youth team as well as spells as caretaker manager.He has played for a number of different cricket clubs in and around Merthyr but has spent the past few years playing for his home town club as well as clocking up over a 100 caps for the Wales Senior Cricket side.At 79 years old he is the oldest cricketer ever to play in Division 1 of the South Wales Cricket Association.This article was written nearly 10 years ago:https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/pensioner-just-bowled-seven-maiden-7683549Ron talks to us about his sporting memories mentioning many of the great sportspeople he played alongside.Ron is mentioned in this Cricket Wales article on seniors cricket in Wales:https://cricketwales.org.uk/news/cricket-wales-criced-cymru-seniors-60s-and-70s-2009-21Here is Ron in campaigning mode back in 2004 trying to keep the ground where he played so much of his cricket.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/3878233.stmRon has been an incredible servant to sport in Wales and deserves every bit of recognition that he has got for his selfless service as player, coach and administrator. We hope this episode will allow others who know him better to share their thoughts on this evergreen cricketer.
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