Dai Davies (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
David Davies was a first-class cricket
er and Test match
umpire
.
Davies was born in Llanelli
, Carmarthenshire
. He worked in the steelworks in his home town, playing club cricket
for Llanelli and some cricket for Carmarthenshire
.
He made his first-class debut for Glamorgan
in Swansea in 1923, when already in his late twenties, scoring 58 and 51 with the bat and taking four wickets against Northamptonshire
.http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/10/10769.html Over the course of a 16-year professional career, he scored more than 15,000 runs for the county, including 16 hundreds
, in 421 first-class games. Although never close to international honours, he passed 1,000 runs in the season on 7 occasions, with 1,539 in 1930 his best return. Batting with Joe Hills
against Sussex
in 1928, he helped set a first-class record for Glamorgan for the eight wicket that has stood for over 80 years. A more than useful medium pace and off break
bowler who took 275 wickets, he was also an outstanding fielder in the covers in his early years, taking 195 catches in all. Jack Hobbs
commended Davies' fielding, describing him as the finest cover point he saw. He was a close contemporary of fellow Welshmen Cyril Walters
and Emrys Davies
, among the first Welsh cricketers to make an impact playing for Glamorgan.
The Second World War brought his playing days to a close - he was 43 years old in 1939 - but he continued to serve the game when first-class cricket resumed after the War by becoming an umpire in 1946. He officiated in the county game against Hampshire
in 1948 which gave Glamorgan its first County Championship
. After Hampshire followed on, and Davies gave the last Hampshire batsman Charles Knott
out lbw
with the team still 115 runs in arrears, he reputedly exclaimed "That's out and we've won the championship!".http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/18/18672.htmlhttp://books.google.co.uk/books?id=UOsbpLGoBYMC&pg=PA112&dq=that%27s+out+and+we%27ve+won+the+championship
He also became a Test umpire, standing in at least one Test match in England each summer from 1947 and 1958. He umpired 23 Test matches in all. He stood in the fifth Test against South Africa at the Oval
in 1951. After consulting with fellow umpire Frank Chester
, Davies gave Len Hutton
out for obstructing the field
, the only occasion of this dismissal arising in Test cricket. Hutton had miscued a hook shot against Athol Rowan
, and hit the ball a second time to defend his stumps, impeding the South African wicketkeeper Russell Endean
as he tried to take the catch.http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/19/19943.html
Davies stood in his last first-class match in September 1961, after nearly 40 years on the first-class scene as either player or umpire. He suffered from arthritis
in later years, and died in Llanelli
.http://www.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/228564.html
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
er and Test match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
umpire
Umpire (cricket)
In cricket, an umpire is a person who has the authority to make judgements on the cricket field, according to the Laws of Cricket...
.
Davies was born in Llanelli
Llanelli
Llanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby...
, Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
. He worked in the steelworks in his home town, playing club cricket
Club cricket
Club cricket is a mainly amateur, but still formal, form of the sport of cricket, usually involving teams playing in competitions at weekends or in the evening. There is a great deal of variation in game format although the Laws of Cricket are always observed...
for Llanelli and some cricket for Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire County Cricket Club
Carmarthenshire County Cricket Club was a county cricket club based in the historic Welsh county of Carmarthenshire that competed in the Minor Counties championship from 1908 to 1911, without success...
.
He made his first-class debut for Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
in Swansea in 1923, when already in his late twenties, scoring 58 and 51 with the bat and taking four wickets against Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
.http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/10/10769.html Over the course of a 16-year professional career, he scored more than 15,000 runs for the county, including 16 hundreds
Century (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a batsman reaches his century when he scores 100 or more runs in a single innings. The term is also included in "century partnership" which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together. A century is regarded as a landmark score for...
, in 421 first-class games. Although never close to international honours, he passed 1,000 runs in the season on 7 occasions, with 1,539 in 1930 his best return. Batting with Joe Hills
Joe Hills
Joseph John Hills was a first class cricketer and test match umpire . Born in London in 1897, he played 107 matches for Glamorgan and Wales between 1926 and 1931. A wicket keeper and right-handed batsman, he took 93 catches and completed 5 stumpings and scored 3474 runs at 21.57 with a best of...
against Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
in 1928, he helped set a first-class record for Glamorgan for the eight wicket that has stood for over 80 years. A more than useful medium pace and off break
Off break
Off break is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. It is the attacking delivery of an off spin bowler. Off breaks are known as off spinners....
bowler who took 275 wickets, he was also an outstanding fielder in the covers in his early years, taking 195 catches in all. Jack Hobbs
Jack Hobbs
Sir John Berry "Jack" Hobbs was an English professional cricketer who played for Surrey from 1905 to 1934 and for England in 61 Test matches from 1908 to 1930....
commended Davies' fielding, describing him as the finest cover point he saw. He was a close contemporary of fellow Welshmen Cyril Walters
Cyril Walters
Cyril Frederick Walters was a Welsh cricketer who had most of his success after leaving Glamorgan to do duty as captain-secretary of Worcestershire. In this role he developed his batting to such an extent that for a brief period he became an England regular and even captained them in one match as...
and Emrys Davies
Emrys Davies
David Emrys Davies was a Glamorgan cricketer and in his later years a Test cricket umpire.Davies was born in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, Wales. His first class career for Glamorgan lasted for thirty one years, from 1924 till 1954...
, among the first Welsh cricketers to make an impact playing for Glamorgan.
The Second World War brought his playing days to a close - he was 43 years old in 1939 - but he continued to serve the game when first-class cricket resumed after the War by becoming an umpire in 1946. He officiated in the county game against Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
in 1948 which gave Glamorgan its first County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
. After Hampshire followed on, and Davies gave the last Hampshire batsman Charles Knott
Charles Knott
Charles James Knott was an English cricketer. Knott was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm off-break and right-arm medium pace.-Early life:...
out lbw
LBW
LBW or lbw may refer to:*Laser beam welding, a type of high-precision energy beam welding*Leg before wicket, one of the ways in which a batsman can be dismissed in the sport of cricket...
with the team still 115 runs in arrears, he reputedly exclaimed "That's out and we've won the championship!".http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/18/18672.htmlhttp://books.google.co.uk/books?id=UOsbpLGoBYMC&pg=PA112&dq=that%27s+out+and+we%27ve+won+the+championship
He also became a Test umpire, standing in at least one Test match in England each summer from 1947 and 1958. He umpired 23 Test matches in all. He stood in the fifth Test against South Africa at the Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
in 1951. After consulting with fellow umpire Frank Chester
Frank Chester
Frank Leslie Chester was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as a Liberal-Progressive from 1949 to 1953....
, Davies gave Len Hutton
Len Hutton
Sir Leonard "Len" Hutton was an English Test cricketer, who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and England in the years around the Second World War as an opening batsman. He was described by Wisden Cricketer's Almanack as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket...
out for obstructing the field
Obstructing the field
Obstructing the field is a rare method of dismissal in the sport of cricket.-Definition:Law 37 of the Laws of cricket provides that:"Either batsman is out Obstructing the field if he wilfully obstructs or distracts the opposing side by word or action...
, the only occasion of this dismissal arising in Test cricket. Hutton had miscued a hook shot against Athol Rowan
Athol Rowan
Athol Matthew Burchell Rowan was a South African cricketer who played in fifteen Tests from 1947 to 1951. His older brother, Eric, also played Test cricket for South Africa....
, and hit the ball a second time to defend his stumps, impeding the South African wicketkeeper Russell Endean
Russell Endean
William Russell Endean was a South African cricketer who played in twenty eight Tests from 1951 to 1958....
as he tried to take the catch.http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/19/19943.html
Davies stood in his last first-class match in September 1961, after nearly 40 years on the first-class scene as either player or umpire. He suffered from arthritis
Arthritis
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
in later years, and died in Llanelli
Llanelli
Llanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby...
.http://www.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/228564.html