Johnnie Clay
Encyclopedia
John Charles Clay (18 March 1898 – 11 August 1973) was a cricket
er who played for Glamorgan County Cricket Club
. Clay also played one Test match
for England
.
Clay was born in Bonvilston
, Glamorgan
, Wales
. He first played for Glamorgan in 1920, the year before they achieved first-class
status. and remained till 1949. Clay captained the county from 1924 to 1927 and then again in 1929 and 1946. Between 1933 and 1938, he served as the club's Treasurer and with Maurice Turnbull
, helped raise money through functions and contacts that kept the club afloat. In 1935 he was called up to play a Test match
for England at the Oval
against South Africa
, but did not take a wicket and did not bat. 1937 was his most successful as a bowler, taking 176 wickets, which remains a Glamorgan record. Clay was a Test selector in 1947 and 1948 and President of Glamorgan from 1961 until his death. He died at St Hilary
, near Cowbridge
, Glamorgan.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played for Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
. Clay also played one Test match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
for England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
.
Clay was born in Bonvilston
Bonvilston
Bonvilston is a village in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The village is situated on the A48 about four miles east of Cowbridge and near the Welsh capital city of Cardiff.- History & Amenities :...
, Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. He first played for Glamorgan in 1920, the year before they achieved first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
status. and remained till 1949. Clay captained the county from 1924 to 1927 and then again in 1929 and 1946. Between 1933 and 1938, he served as the club's Treasurer and with Maurice Turnbull
Maurice Turnbull
Turnbull was an eager sportsman as a youth, and played rugby for Downside School. He matriculated to Cambridge, and at university joined not only the cricket team, but also Cambridge University Rugby Club. One of the earliest rugby clubs he represented was St. Peters in Cardiff. His elder brother,...
, helped raise money through functions and contacts that kept the club afloat. In 1935 he was called up to play a Test match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
for England at the Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
against South Africa
South African cricket team
The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...
, but did not take a wicket and did not bat. 1937 was his most successful as a bowler, taking 176 wickets, which remains a Glamorgan record. Clay was a Test selector in 1947 and 1948 and President of Glamorgan from 1961 until his death. He died at St Hilary
St Hilary, Glamorgan
St Hilary is a small village in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales.-Location:The village lies just south of the A48, a few miles west of Cardiff and a mile east of the market town of Cowbridge. On the high ground to the north of the village stands the St...
, near Cowbridge
Cowbridge
Cowbridge is a market town in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales, approximately west of Cardiff. Cowbridge is twinned with Clisson in the Loire-Atlantique department in northwestern France.-Roman times:...
, Glamorgan.