St Helens Ready To Return To Spotlight This Sunday

26 Jul 2016 | Cricket
Year after year they are drawn to a special place which holds centre stage for a few days (writes Chris Peregrine). And that time is coming up again, when St Helen\'s grabs its annual slice of top-class cricket, with fans of the summer game will faithfully make their way once again to the cricketing equivalent of a pair of comfy old slippers.

The Swansea ground is regarded by some as Glamorgan's spiritual home, although the county’s headquarters are now at The SSE Swalec in Cardiff.

But all eyes will be on St Helen's when the Swansea and West Wales Cricket Festival opens up on Sunday. Hampshire are the visitors in the Royal London One-Day Cup, with the action resuming on August 3 with a Specsavers County Championship four-day match against Northamptonshire.

And it is during the lunch interval on that first day when a ceremony will take place, which will illustrate the significance of the old ground. The contribution of St Helen's to the world of cricket will be formally recognised with the award of a blue plaque.

The historical marker will be laid by the main gates in Gorse Lane and will amount to an equaliser. Last September the seafront ground received a blue plaque to mark Swansea Rugby Club's contribution to the ground, centring on their ground-breaking wins over Australia in 1908, South Africa in 1912 and New Zealand in 1935.

But the cricket lobby felt the summer game should also have its moment in the sun, and that moment is about to arrive. A request for another plaque to recognise its part in the St Helen's story, including Glamorgan's wins against Australia in 1964 and 1968 and Sir Garfield Sobers's six sixes in an over, also in 1968, was put forward on behalf of Swansea Cricket Club. The issue went before the council's blue plaques advisory group which approved the application.

And at 1.15pm on August 3 Robert Francis-Davies, cabinet member for enterprise, development and regeneration, will unveil it by gate two opposite the Cricketers' pub.

"It will be a proud moment, reflecting the historical significance of the ground," said John Williams, chairman of St Helen's Balconiers, which has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds to ensure Glamorgan continues to play at the ground.

“We have got a lot of youngsters coming through from the west, like Aneurin Donald, from Swansea and who equalled the world record for the fastest double hundred in Colwyn Bay last week, Andrew Salter, from Pembrokeshire, and Owen Morgan, from Llangennech.

"Glamorgan are on a winning streak and people have been asking for tickets for the T20 quarter-finals already, even though we don't know if we are home or away yet. There has been a lot more interest in the festival lately and if anyone has missed the chance to get a hospitality package they had better get in touch quickly.

"People are more positive now. It is nice to have a Sunday one day match after a few years absence. It starts at 11am and we are expecting a big crowd, with Hampshire attractive visitors. Fred's Bar will be open again. I am ever so grateful, as always, to our volunteers who run it.

"And community volunteers from the Neighbourhood Environment Action Team have been painting and tidying up St Helen's and we have arranged for them to have a photograph with the Glamorgan team."

* Anyone wanting to take a hospitality package should contact Mr Williams on 07507 291492 or by emailing john.balconiers@hotmail.com

To secure your seats for either the Hampshire or Northamptonshire match in Swansea, click here.

Tickets will also be available on the gate, £15 for adults, £10 students and under 17s free of charge. Cash only payments on the gate please.