Alan Rees, who passed away after a short illness on 17 March at Morriston Hospital, was amongst the finest fielders in first-class cricket during the 1960`s. A livewire at cover point or mid-wicket, his athleticism resulted in many dismissals, most notably during Glamorgan’s back-to-back victories over the 1964 and 1968 Australians at Swansea where Alan proudly played a key role in these historic victories over the men in baggy green caps.
The win at Swansea in 1964 came during a purple patch for Alan who, a fortnight before, posted his only Championship hundreds during back-to-back games against Kent and Lancashire, with the right-handed batter making an unbeaten 106 at Maidstone before posting a career-best 111* at Cardiff Arms Park. Spurred on by this good form, he scored 48 and 47 as Glamorgan left the tourists a target of 268 on the wearing surface at St. Helen’s. Despite a promising start, the Welsh county fought back in grand style with Don Shepherd giving little away during a superb spell of bowling. Alan’s razor-sharp fielding in the covers and mid-wicket also stifled the Australians attempts to break free from the shackles, before Alan took a stunning waist-high catch at mid-wicket off Jim Pressdee’s bowling to remove Bill Lawry just as the Australian opener seemed set to steer his side to victory.
Lawry’s departure left the tourists on 207-6 with Barry Jarman only having the bowlers to help him score the remaining 62 runs. Despite the intense heat, and a touch or two of cramp, Don Shepherd and Jim Pressdee continued to infuriate the visitors and, as further wickets tumbled, the Glamorgan side held their nerve as history beckoned. With 37 runs still to make, Eifion Jones caught Neil Hawke, before what seemed like half the population of the Principality surged onto the Swansea outfield and took part in an unscripted, but very Celtic celebration!
Four year later, these joyous scenes at the St. Helen’s ground were repeated with Alan, yet again, playing a key role both with the bat and in the field. Although he was dismissed in the first innings for a duck, Alan made an unbeaten 33 when Glamorgan batted for a second time and helped to marshall the lower order as the Welsh county amassed an impressive lead of 365 by the close of the second day.
After a morning declaration, it was not long before Alan was in the spotlight as, with the total on 35, the Australian openers set off for a quick single, only for Alan, in his customary position at cover, to swoop on the ball and make an accurate underarm throw at the striker’s end to beat the desperate lunge of Ian Redpath. As further wickets tumbled, every ball that Alan intercepted at cover point was accompanied by loud and passionate applause and, when Dave Renneberg’s holed out to Majid Khan at cover, Glamorgan had won another memorable game by 79 runs.
Alan’s reputation as one of the finest cover fielders in county cricket had seen him act as 12th man during July 1964 in the Third Test of the Ashes series at Headingley – a venue where the gifted sportsman had also played rugby league having previously enjoyed a fine career in rugby union with Aberavon and Maesteg, during which he won three Welsh caps at fly-half during the 1961/62 season against England, Scotland and France
In 1967, Alan opened the batting with Alan Jones in Glamorgan’s inaugural game at Sophia Gardens (against the Indian tourists) and struck the first-ever boundary at the new ground. Two years before, Alan had also entered the cricket record books at Lord’s when he was dismissed handled the ball during the Championship match against Middlesex. As he later recalled “I was getting bogged down by Fred Titmus so I decided to give him the charge. Titmus saw me coming and bowled it a little quicker and wider of the leg stump. With John Murray, the wicket-keeper, preparing for a stumping, I put my left hand out and stopped the ball. After a deathly hush, Titmus appealed to umpire Ron Aspinall culminating in me being told I had to go.”
Alan had joined the county’s staff during the mid-1950`s, prior to making his first-class debut against Somerset at Weston-Super-Mare in 1955. His studies at Loughborough University and National Service with the RAF, meant that it wasn’t until the early 1960s that he became a regular in Glamorgan’s line-up. Alan won his county cap in 1963, before going on to score 7,681 first-class runs in 216 matches for Glamorgan before retiring in 1968 to become a sports development officer for Afan Borough Council.
On hearing of Alan’s death, Hugh Morris, Glamorgan’s Chief Executive Officer said “everyone at Glamorgan Cricket is very sorry to hear about Alan’s passing. He held a very special place in the Club’s history, having won honours with the Welsh rugby team, before being an integral part of Glamorgan’s side which defeated the Australians at Swansea in 1964 and 1968. For legions of our supporters, Alan will always be remembered as one of the Club’s finest fielders at cover point. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.”