Emrys Davies

I suppose that among his generation there was no more popular cricketer than Emrys Davies, to whom Wilf Wooller paid tribute last month. At the University rugger match I saw his son, Peter, of whose achievements, both sporting and in the world of business, Emrys was so proud. The ultimate tribute to him had clearly given the family much solace-ALL the Glamorgan players of his time who were still alive in this country had made the journey to Llanelli for his funeral, including Arnold Dyson, his old opening partner for so many years, who had come all the way from Yorkshire. Thirty-one years spanned his first-class career with Glamorgan, and I can only trace his having one benefit, in 1938, and it amounted to £688. Perhaps like Fred Root he said he couldn't afford another! My particular memory of Emrys is of his helping me through one of my first county match running-commentaries, at St Helen's, Swansea, in the early summer of 1939, with a sparkling hundred. My number two was a bright young Welshman called Wynford Vaughan-Thomas. The phrase 'Nature's gentleman' could have have been invented for Emrys.
EW Swanton, Wisden Cricket Monthly