Billy Davies, who played for Glamorgan between 1954 and 1960, passed away in Llandough Hospital on 17 July, a fortnight after his 86th birthday. (writes Andrew Hignell)
He held a special place in the Club’s annals as Billy took a wicket with his first-ever delivery in county cricket, against Surrey at The Oval during 1957. Coming on as first change, the former pupil of Barry Boys School had Tom Clark caught in the gully by Jim Pressdee with his maiden delivery – a feat which had been achieved only once before by Jack Johns in 1922, and subsequently by only two others for Glamorgan, Andrew Salter and Ruaidhri Smith, both during 2013.
Whilst being very proud at this achievement, Billy was more of a specialist batter and only really a back-up bowler, scoring 674 runs in 32 first-class appearances, besides claiming sixteen wickets and holding fourteen catches in first-class cricket for the Welsh county. A series of promising innings in club cricket for Barry Atheltichad seen Billy win selection for the county’s 2nd XI during 1953 before the following summer, after further decent scores for Glamorgan’s second string as well as for Barry Athletic CC, Billy made his first-class debut during late August, opening the batting with Gilbert Parkhouse against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.
His development as a county cricketer was abruptly halted by his National Service in Germany. It meant that Billy did not play Championship cricket again until 1957 – a season when in thirteen appearances, he opened the batting again with Parkhouse as well as with Wilf Wooller. He duly compiled his maiden Championship half-century by making 58 against Kent at Gravesend and re-appeared in 1958 after a winter coaching assignment alongside Peter Walker, his good friend and county colleague in Johannesburg in South Africa.
Injury restricted Billy to a solitary appearance during 1959, followed by eight more in 1960 during which he made a forthright 64 against Somerset at Bath. However, at the end of the season, he left the Glamorgan staff to take up a job with Refuge Assurance. Billy continued to play in club cricket during the 1960s for Barry Athletic CC as well as for the Hill`s Plymouth club in Merthyr, in addition to appearing for Wales against the International Cavaliers at Colwyn Bay in 1969, as well as in their Triple Crown matches in 1971. The following summer he also led the Welsh side against Ireland, Jamaica and the Orange Free State.
On hearing of Billy’s passing, Hugh Morris said “Billy held a very special place in Glamorgan’s history and as a top-order batter, he was very proud of his achievement as a bowler! Although he left the county scene in 1960, Billy continued to support the Club and was a regular face at the get-together’s staged by the Glamorgan Former Players’ Association.”
“We send our condolences to Billy’s wide circle of friends in club cricket, as well as to his wife Gill, sons Rhys and Peter, and his grand-daughter Hannah.”
Billy's funeral service will take place at All Saints Church in Barry at 11.00am on August 2nd. This will be followed by a burial service at St Curig's Church, Porthkerry at 13.00pm, plus a wake afterwards at Brynhill Golf Club, Barry.