Saturday                      Football Argus              December 3.  1932

ABERTILLERY CRICKET MEMORIES
MAN WHO BOWLED W. G. GRACE FOR A DUCK

"Old Timer" Recalls Glorious Days 
of Forty Years Ago.

The sun peeped through a mist on the Arael Mountain and 'Old Timer', seated on one of the Harrison seats near the Foundry Bridge, was holding forth on his favourite topic - "in the old days at Abertillery."

Tell you what, he said: you talk of your three seasons' rugby record^*. You talk of Abertillery's Terrible Eight^*. You talk of old time runners and all that, but none of you youngsters knows of the famous Abertillery cricketers of forty years ago.

They were great players and had more representatives in the County side than any other town in Monmouthshire, including Newport. Let me see. Dear old Captain Phillips, who owned the tinworks, was fond of cricket, and his two sons, F. A. Phillips and Lindsay Phillips from the (University?)

Two Good Bats

"F. A." played for Swansea and Lindsay played for Newport as well as Abertillery. They were two really good bats. At That time, we played on a field where Ralph's Garages^** now stand. There were no houses there then.

Some of us were fond of cricket and played for the love of the game, but we did get it without many sacrifices - no council grounds or perks in those days to wipe out half the rent when you couldn't pay.

Old Alec James owned the land them and it was put up for sale. Pen-y-bont Colliery Company put in a bid at £15,000 but Webb's (Brewery) Aberbeeg topped it with £16,000 and got it. Anyway, he started a cricket club.

Who were 'we'?, I asked. Oh! was the reply; there was Steve Winmill, who was a big Conservative, Dai Boswell, father of Ray Boswell, Treasurer of the Rugby Club: Silas and Mark Robins (Silas still lives down by the war memorial at Abertillery), and a few more.

They were the real founders of cricket at Abertillery. They leased the Glandwr Street Grounds and spent £130 in laying it out. There was no gate money in those days, but it was nothing to take £10 or £15 in collecting boxes. Of course they played good cricket and gave value for money.

A cricket league was formed in Monmouthshire with Abertillery, Panteg, Pontypool, Abercarn, Ebbw Vale, Usk, Chepstow, Abergavenny, and Beaufort as members. Newport were not in, but there was tremendous excitement about the League Cup. Abertillery could not win it for many years. For eight years in succession, Abertillery were in the final with Chepstow and eight times we just missed the cup.

The Ninth Year

In the ninth year "Si" Robins was captain and we had to play Chepstow at Newport. I won't give you the details of the game but "Si" more than once hit the ball into the River Usk and Abertillery won the match and the Monmouthshire Cup at the ninth time of asking.

That night Abertillery, Blaenau Gwent, Cwmtillery, Six Bells and all the rest of them were at the railway station meeting the team and the cup.What a night! Yes, a few of us had one over the eight.

I would like to tell you something about "Si" Robins and his brother, Mark, and the other players, but not today. Just this one word about poor Fred Morgan, Powell Street, who died the other day. He was the fastest bowler Monmouthshire ever produced -  faster than Steeples who used to be pro for Newport in the days of Silverlook. He played in Bristol one day and, will you believe it, bowled the great W. G. Grace for a duck^***.

He was a terrific bowler. He played in the famous cup final against Chepstow at Newport and they couldn't bowl Hutchings, who was batting for Chepstow. Fred told his captain, "He's coming out this time". The ball went down like lightning and, before you could wink, the middle wicket and the ball actually went to the boundary! Yes, Fred was a great bowler. He had what we called ball control and when he wanted to, he made the batsman play his balls. Few bowlers do that today. They don't compel the batsman to play.