Swansea 'old Lady' St Helen's Bids Cricket Farewell

Most of nan cricketing greats successful history person graced nan celebrated St Helen's crushed successful Swansea during illustrious careers.

Bradman, Tendulkar, Richards, Lloyd, Warne and Lara to callback conscionable a few.

And of people Garry Sobers, who became nan first batter to people six sixes successful an complete connected 31 August, 1968 while playing for Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan.

Now precisely 57 years later, it was near to nan players of Swansea seconds and Pontardawe firsts successful a South Wales Cricket Association (SWCA) crippled to bring down nan curtain connected cricket connected nan picturesque crushed that overlooks Swansea Bay towards nan Mumbles.

While nan pantheon of legends person struck boundaries aliases taken wickets astatine nan celebrated aged ground, nan last enactment belonged to immoderate lesser known names successful nan 35-over title arsenic Pontardawe batter Owen Barton scored nan winning runs from a shot from Swansea seamer Jacob Protheroe.

Visitors Pontardawe grounded to travel nan fairytale book arsenic they defeated their young hosts by six wickets, pinch nan sun yet mounting connected cricket astatine St Helen's conscionable earlier 4th to 7 connected a glorious Swansea evening.

With Welsh rugby squad Ospreys owed to move present successful 2026-27, this was nan past enactment of cricket astatine a crushed that has seen nan athletics played present for much than 150 years.

Among nan hundreds watching events unfold connected nan cricketing swansong were immoderate Glamorgan greats, including Roger Davis, who famously caught retired Sobers' 5th six successful nan Malcolm Nash complete earlier going.

Then location was batting fable Alan Jones, who played successful a pivotal domiciled successful 2 Glamorgan wins against Australia successful 1964 and 1968.

"I ne'er thought this time would happen, particularly successful my days," said Jones.

"This has been 1 of nan happiest grounds of my career. I person played truthful galore games present and person truthful galore happy memories playing pinch my relative Eifion arsenic well.

"This has ever been nan location of cricket for america and it's a very disappointing day."

Jones' sentiments are shared by galore successful westbound Wales pinch witnessing cricket astatine this stadium successful Swansea forming portion of their ain history.

There is besides a consciousness of regret, and possibly moreover anger, that cricket is not continuing present pinch frustrations among nan locals towards Ospreys, Swansea Council and Glamorgan Cricket, who person not played astatine St Helen's since 2019.

Ospreys posted a societal media connection they would beryllium moving into St Helen's connected Monday little than 24 hours aft nan cricketing finale.

This drew a stinging consequence from different Glamorgan legend, who learned his waste and acquisition astatine Swansea.

Former England spinner Robert Croft celebrated his 1,000th first-class wicket astatine St Helen's successful 2010 and has beardown ties to nan ground.

"I wish nan Ospreys and their supporters good and each nan bully luck successful nan world but to station a image for illustration that and besides successful utilizing immoderate of nan terminology, will beryllium incredibly insensitive to a batch of people," wrote Croft.

Swansea stalwarts Steve Davies and Mike Hayden, who person some been progressive pinch nan nine since 1981, admit it has been a sad time, though opportunity it possibly not wholly unexpected.

"It is simply a time that has been 30 years successful nan making truthful we person benignant of known it would come," said existent treasurer and erstwhile president Davies.

"Sadly successful my clip present location has not been a penny of superior finance put into this ground.

"The past clip Glamorgan played present [in 2019], 27 balls went retired of nan ground.

"Could they person put immoderate shot catchers netting up astir nan crushed for illustration they do astatine different venues? But they did not take that option.

"The cricket squad and outfield is awesome but nan remainder of nan crushed is simply a really sad aged lady."

Past and coming Swansea players staged a crippled past Monday to commemorate nan move.

"We person had group visiting present from each complete nan state to person 1 last chance of playing," said Davies.

"It is nan belief location of Glamorgan and everybody holds it successful precocious esteem."

Davies says he has a scope of emotions.

"There person been immoderate precocious highs and immoderate very debased lows," said Davies.

"This is simply a very sad day. I person tried to clasp it together but shed a fewer tears."

Current president Hayden made his Swansea debut arsenic a 19-year-old and recalled times erstwhile West Indies greats for illustration Richie Richardson and Jeff Dujon utilized to beryllium nan club's overseas professional.

"It was rather daunting because location were immoderate large characters there," said Hayden.

"Sitting successful 1 area of nan dressing room, you had Ezra Mosley, who was a trial opening bowler for nan West Indies, Geoff Ellis, who was a Glamorgan player."

The venue and nan spectacular position complete Swansea Bay towards Mumbles conscionable made players consciousness special.

"St Helen's conscionable has an aura astir it," said Hayden.

"From nan first time I sewage present to today, it has a emotion that's different to immoderate spot I've ever played.

"It's astir apt 1 of nan astir picturesque grounds, not only successful Welsh cricket, but successful world cricket.

"It has been a very poignant week. It's benignant of crept up. We've known it's going to beryllium nan end, but arsenic we person sewage person to that past day, it's deed home.

"I person had messages from India and Australia coming wishing america well."

Davies says this is nan last week of cricket, sloppy of whether nan Ospreys improvement will spell up pinch nan uncertainty surrounding nan early of Welsh rugby.

Plans for nan relocation to Sketty Lane, a mile down nan road, are astatine an precocious staged pinch a caller quadrate already laid and drainage activity having started..

The move, which will spot Swansea merge pinch Swansea Civil Service, is being overseen by Davies.

"We will move connected and spell nan caller crushed and commencement again," said Davies.

"A caller cricket quadrate has been put successful and having important outfield drainage is going connected astatine this time.

"That is simply a rather a batch magnitude of money, astir £200,000. We person besides designed a caller installation and changing rooms. We will person extracurricular nets and besides dream to person a caller indoor barn.

"The caller mounting astatine Sketty Lane is going to beryllium fantastic, though unluckily it won't person nan St Helen's outlook and history of nan place."

Hayden admits he had bittersweet memories of nan last day.

"Primarily nan early of nan nine is nan astir important point and it's pleasing to spot we've sewage our plans successful spot for adjacent season," said Hayden.

"We've sewage a very beardown inferior section, truthful nan nine will past beyond nan alteration of grounds.

"But to beryllium nan president that says goodbye to St Helen's is difficult. We will miss nan aged place."

He will not beryllium nan only one.