214 for 0

A brief glance at social media posts over the past week scarcely conveys the memorable cricketing events of Friday 8 May. With the Brecon sun looking down on a perfect wicket, the Friends food stall, a Pavilion bar and two consecutive matches played between the friendliest of rivals, the afternoon was cricket at its very best.

Huw Richards reports

After the excitement of playing at Sophia Gardens last year to celebrate 160 years of the fixture we returned to Brecon for this regular fixture, COBS (College Old Boys and Staff) played Old Lls in the early afternoon. OLls batted first and made a brisk start quickly reaching 28 before the first wicket. They then got to 115 for 4 and managed to add another ‘hole’ in the 100 year walls of the Pavilion. At the end of the 20 overs they had reached 126 for 8. COBS best bowler was Garry Holley who took 3 wickets. Keen to make the most of the hospitality, COBS quickly got to 74 for 1 with Huw Thomas retiring on 33. Our junior members Rusiru and Toby then guided us to victory at 128 for 2 from 12 overs. A great day of tradition and good to retain the Huw Miles Shield.

The day had begun for the Cricket 1st XI Boys with the presentation of ties to those who were preparing to face the “old enemy” for the first time later in the day. Set against the backdrop of the summer pop-up archive, the Head awarded the ties after giving the players the opportunity to browse the artefacts on display. Little did they realise that the day’s events would be added to the history of the school game.

More than half a century on from the centenary match of 1974, the archives remain rich with notebooks, scorebooks, reports in 'The Breconian', statistical tables, and no shortage of anecdote. Together, these sources help to tell the story of cricket at Christ College across generations. Now added to the annals is the Llandovery match that took place later in the afternoon.

Jack’s double century, only the second in the history of 1st XI cricket at Christ College, firmly secures its place in the record books. Breaking a record set in 1925 by 2 runs, it sets a new record for the highest number of runs scored by a Christ College player in a 1st XI match in any format. 

The original innings record was set 101 years ago by W Guy Morgan in 1925. In a match played against ‘The Masters’, he hit 4 sixes and 23 fours in just over 2 hours, achieving 212 not out. He went on to score another century in 1926 (107 v Monmouth Grammar School) and in 1927 (129 v Old Breconians in under 1½ hrs).

In 1928 A C Jones and G Rex Morgan set a new Christ College 1st XI partnership record in a stand of 133, beating the 95 runs scored  by J R Atkin and R D Budworth in their historic partnership in 1885. J R Atkin went to become Lord Atkin, Lord of Appeal in Ordinary Law. R D Budworth went on play club rugby for Blackheath and international rugby for England. 

In 1930 A C Jones broke his own record, scoring 174 runs and setting a new partnership record with W B Griffiths (59). Surpassing the 96-year-old record of 233 runs scored by Jones and Griffiths in their 3½ hour stand, Jack and Dylan's 321-run opening partnership sets a completely new school record.

Jack’s momentous innings also places him top of the ‘league’ of century-makers since 1889, when the very first century (112) was scored by a Christ College XI batsman in a school match.

When you add into the mix the different contexts of traditional innings and T20 cricket, Jack’s score is indeed impressive and definitely one for the school cricketing history books.

1925 Cricket XI W G Morgan (Captain)

W G Morgan (School House 1918-26)

W Guy Morgan was already a seasoned cricketer by the 1925 season his record-setting score of 212*. He had first played for the 1st XI in 1921 at the age of thirteen and went on to play for the 1st XI for six seasons in all. While at Christ College he scored 2066 runs (ave 40.51), made three centuries and hit the first double century on the school ground. In addition he took over 150 wickets.

The school side of 1923 included three players who subsequently played for Glamorgan. Guy, only 17, was the first. He played in 45 matches for Glamorgan between 1925 and 1938, and was captain of the side in 1929. He still holds the record for the youngest ever captain of Glamorgan CC.

He also played rugby for Guy’s Hospital and London Welsh. He gained 4 rugby Blues while at Cambridge and 8 Welsh rugby caps, captaining the side in 1929/30.