Whites on Green

Martin Chandler | 9:12am BST 08 October 2023

Published: 2018
Pages: 161
Author: Harragan, Bob and Hignell, Andrew
Publisher: ACS
Rating: 3 stars

After its somewhat cryptic title the sub-title of this one tells you all you need to know about its content; A History of Cricket at St Helen’s, Swansea. As that implies the book is a general history of cricket in Swansea, but do not make the mistake, as I did, of assuming the book is largely concerned with local cricket. St Helen’s has also been the scene of some remarkable First Class matches, all of which are chronicled in this very readable book from the ACS.

The idea for the book came from retired sports journalist Bob Harragan, who sadly died before the project could be completed. Glamorgan historian Andrew Hignell, pencilled in anyway to assist with parts of the book, then took Harragan’s manuscript and saw the book through to publication. Thus the preface to the book is Hignell’s tribute to Harragan, and that is followed by an introduction that Harragan had already written.

The ground itself is a dual purpose one, its facilities used in the off season by Swansea’s Rugby Union club. Internationals have been played there in four sports, both codes of rugby, soccer and cricket (one ODI in 1973 between England and New Zealand and a match in the 1983 World Cup). It is an impressive looking stadium, and quite an atmosphere must be created when, as happened on the second day of the game between Glamorgan and Bradman’s ‘Invincibles’ in 1948, there are 30,000 people squeezed in.

The wicket at St Helen’s has a history of being slow, and it is a great shame that the weather ruined that game against the 1948 Australians in a summer when, for the first time and contrary to the expectations of most, Glamorgan won the County Championship. The book records with some relish the fact that all four games at St Helens that summer were won, and tells the story of left arm spinner Stan Trick. Trick’s commitments outside the game restricted him to a career of just 19 First Class matches, but he played in all those four matches, taking 28 wickets in them at less than 15 runs each.

The book also features other matches against touring sides, notably the only victory by a county against the 1951 South Africans (and that after the hosts were bundled out for 191 in their first innings). More famously there is a chapter on Glamorgan’s twin successes against the 1964 and 1968 Australians, contests I was aware of, although I hadn’t realised both matches were at St Helens. Also with its own chapter is what is undoubtedly the best known game of cricket to have been played at St Helens, the County Championship fixture between Glamorgan and Nottinghamshire in 1968, the occasion when Garry Sobers struck six sixes from a Malcolm Nash over.

All in all the story that Whites on Green succinctly tells is well worth reading for anyone interested in the development of the game. For a relatively slim book it certainly justifies the description of being profusely illustrated, containing the best part of a century of images of men, matches, the ground itself and associated items of memorabilia. Finally, and helpfully, it is still in print and available from the ACS here.