Johnnie Clay

Johnnie Clay enjoyed a 28 year first-class career at Glamorgan and played one Test for England. He was captain of the Welsh county either side of WW2, its Treasurer for five years between 1933-38, a Trustee from 1960 and latterly as the club’s President. He was quite simply ‘Mr Glamorgan’. One of the best off-spinners in the UK, he bowled a staggering 61,553 balls in a first-class career of 373 matches and took 1,317 wickets. In conjunction with fellow ‘Roll of Honour’ member Maurice Turnbull he helped keep the club afloat.

In 1937, the Winchester-educated Clay took a record 176 wickets for Glamorgan. That was one of three times he took more than 100 wickets in a season and his highest haul came in 1937 against Worcestershire at Swansea, when he had match figures of 17-212 after taking 9-66 and 8-146. That haul came two years after he had gained his one cap for England against South Africa in the Fifth Test. He was no mug with the bat, however, and scored a century against the 1927 New Zealand tourists and two years later shared in a record stand of 203 partnership with Joe Hills batting at No 10.

He played Minor Counties cricket for Monmouthshire as a fast bowler before turning out for Glamorgan for the first time in 1921. He also played for the Wales XI for three years between 1923-26. His final appearance for Glamorgan came against Yorkshire at Newport in 1949, aged 51. A year earlier one of his protégés, Wilf Wooller, recalled him for the final push to help win the title for the first time for the Welsh county. He was recalled for a decisive match at the Arms Park against Surrey and delivered match figures of 10-65. He remained in the side for the final game against Hampshire at Bournemouth, where he took a further nine wickets, including the last one of the game that secured a second successive innings victory and, more significantly, the County Championship title.

He was an England Test selector in 1947 and 1948, acted as Secretary of the Glamorgan Hunt and became a Steward and a Director of Chepstow Racecourse. The Chepstow race course was founded on land owned by his father and there is a race named after, the Johnny Clay Memorial Chase Handicap, that is run every year at the course.

John Charles Clay (Cricketer) Born in Bonvilston on 18 March, 1898; Died in Cowbridge on 11 August, 1973