Participants and providers: a micro-scale analysis of cricket in Cardiff during the nineteenth century

Abstract

The geographical analysis of cricket's development has, so far, largely been club-specific. This article shows how meaningful and insightful conclusions can be drawn by adopting a micro-scale approach and place-specific framework. Using nineteenth century Cardiff, an analysis was made of the participants and providers involved in the myriad of clubs in the heart of the town and its sprawling suburbs. During this time, a successful town club emerged, based at Cardiff Arms Park, with the 1st XI flying the flag for the ‘coal metropolis’ throughout South Wales and further afield. For the ongoing development and organization of the game in Cardiff, it was the 2nd XI of the town club that played the major innovatory role. Another key finding from this spatial analysis was that many landowners did not have a standardized approach towards assisting the game, and instead had contrasting approaches in different parts of the town.

Notes

¹ Bowen, Cricket; Wynne-Thomas, The History of Cricket.

² Lewis, Double Century; Wellings, A History of County Cricket – Middlesex; Lemmon, The History of Middlesex CCC, The History of Surrey CCC; Ross, A History of County Cricket – Surrey.

³ From the Report of an Enquiry by the Board of Trade into Working Class Rents, Housing and Retail Prices in 1908, p. 132. For further information about the industrial history of Cardiff see Daunton, Coal Metropolis Cardiff.

⁴ Carmarthen Journal, 30 July 1819.

⁵ Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian, 2 May 1846.

⁶ Newspapers were also used subsequently by clubs in arranging fixtures. For example, the Western Mail for 22 July 1890 carried the following notice: ‘the Penarth Second Eleven have next Saturday open and should like to arrange a match with a team (medium) a few miles outside Cardiff. Apply E.G.H. Jones, 71 Windsor Road, Penarth.’

⁷ Morgan played against the All-England Eleven in September 1858, but got a duck in each innings. However, he met with far more fame serving with the army and was one of the cavalrymen who took part in the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava in October 1854 during the Crimean War.

⁸ Cardiff Times, 17 August 1855.

⁹ Smith, The South Wales Cricket Club.

¹⁰ Hignell, The Centenary History of Glamorgan CCC.

¹¹ Indeed, Walter remained in the Cardiff area until his death in 1918. Confirmation of his early efforts came in March 1865 when the Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian proclaimed ‘the Cardiff club of late has not been in a very flourishing condition and exertions are now being made to establish the club upon an improved footing by increasing the number of members and creating greater interest.’

¹² South Wales Daily News, 27 April 1887.

¹³ Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian, 7 June 1872.

¹⁴ Rev. Saulez's wife was a music teacher and amongst her charges was a young man called David Ivor Davies who later won fame and fortune in the music world, besides changing his name to Ivor Novello.

¹⁵ Western Mail, 29 July, 1889.

¹⁶ Hignell, From Sophia to SWALEC.

¹⁷ Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian, 24 June 1854.

¹⁸ Cardiff Times, 11 May 1866.

¹⁹ The lack of decent facilities was commented in the South Wales Daily News for 10 February 1885, with the correspondent writing how ‘there is a lack of a proper place … for the players’ clothes, bags etc. The dressing-rooms pertaining to public houses in the neighbourhood of the Sophia Gardens Field are quite inadequate for the number of our local clubs which play … there every Saturday and Wednesday – players have to deposit their clothes in a wash-house … which might accommodate four persons at the most, and on the open field … pilfering goes on at an alarming arte. A few weeks ago the members of one club alone lost £2…. Such trifling articles as a spare football, hats, mufflers disappear with annoying frequency. One player recently had his bag and contents ‘lifted’ owing to the nuisance of either having to come to the field dressed and go back dirty, or to dress on the field and have your things stolen. Many men will not turn up…what is wanted is a good large erection in the Sophia Gardens Field with conveniences for washing…. This would be an incalculable boom to the football community.'

²⁰ Lloyd, C'Mon City.

²¹ Horton, Llanishen.

²² After the contest, the Llanishen gentlemen, plus Thomas and his social chums all enjoyed a lavish banquet, complete with musical entertainment in Heath House. A few weeks later, the Llanishen gentlemen also played the lady members of the local tennis club. Like their match at Heath House, the game against the ladies was a jolly affair with the men batting with broomsticks, whilst the ladies used their rackets to hit the tennis balls which were used for the contest. See the Western Mail, 29 August and 15 September 1887.

²³ Entry dated 5 May 1903 in Llanishen Parish Council minute book. Glamorgan Record Office, P/55/3.

²⁴ Hignell, ‘Patterns and Processes of Suburban development in North Cardiff, 1850–1919’.

²⁵ Hignell, A ‘Favorit’ Game.