Davies Emrys Image 2 Glamorgan 1950

Description

Sandy, Llanelly, Carmarthenshire born Emrys Davies was a left-handed top order batsman and a slow left-arm orthodox spin bowler, who made his debut for Glamorgan in 1924, playing 621 first class matches over 31 seasons through to 1954. He signalled his significant improvement as a batsman by scoring 175 against Essex in 1932. He became the first and the second man to do the double of 100 wickets and 1,000 runs for the County, achieved in 1935 and 1937, and in 1935 he became the County’s first player ever to score 1,000 runs in a season. He remains on the record books for Glamorgan in a number of respects, and but for the Second World War which deprived him of several seasons when at his most productive these achievements would stand out further.

His aggregate of of 26,102 runs for the County has been bettered only by Alan Jones. He is one of only six cricketers from Glamorgan to have scored more than 30 centuries, scoring 32 as well as 141 half centuries in his first class career. His highest score of 287 not out was a club record until broken by Steve James in 2000, some 61 years later. Davies holds the Glamorgan 3rd wicket record stand with Willie Jones of 313. In 1937 he scored 1,954 runs which is the County’s 7th highest total for a season, averaging over 40. With his bowling his 885 wickets for Glamorgan puts him 7th on their all-time list as of 2007. With 612 games to his name for Glamorgan, he is second only to Don Shepherd for the most appearances for the County. Despite a 31 year career for Glamorgan, he only received one benefit award, which came in 1938 and raised £688.

In his entire first class career he scored 26,564 runs at an average of 27.90, and took 903 wickets at an average of 20.30 with a best performance of 6-24, one of 32 occasions he took five wickets in an innings in addition to twice taking ten wickets in a match. He also held 215 catches in first class play. He was selected by commentator John Arlott in the Best XI from players who, for a wide variety of reasons, were never capped by England.

He then became a first class umpire. Two years after his playing retirement he umpired his first Test match, England against Australia at Lord’s in June 1956, going on to umpire nine in total between then and August 1959.

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