Book Of The Year Award > 2010 > From Sophia To Swalec
FROM SOPHIA TO SWALEC A History of Cricket in Cardiff
Andrew Hignell

To commemorate the staging of the first Ashes Test at Cardiff in 2009 (and didn't they do well?) Dr. Andrew Hignell gives us here a full history of the ground from inception to date. Also, cricket in Cardiff prior to Sophia Gardens is covered as one would expect from such a distinguished and authoritative writer.

To begin at the beginning, as a neighbouring poet might have it, one needs to misquote the old song, "Who is Sophia, what is she?" Well she was the wife of the Second Marquess of Bute and if you want to marvel at the intricacies of British aristocracy, study Wikipedia's detailed analysis of the family. One branch gave Cardiff its cricket ground – their antecedents (the third Earl of Bute was George III's Prime Minister) helped lose America.

Sophia, however, following travels in Europe saw the benefits of having a large, green, open space in Cardiff although the author properly notes that commercial considerations sat alongside philanthropy. The outcome for cricket-lovers was that after a long period of time, Sophia Gardens was to become the focus of cricket in Cardiff. It was Cardiff Arms Park that was to prove the focus of cricket in Cardiff and much of the book is concerned with the long and distinguished history of that ground that saw Glamorgan rise from unconsidered newcomers to County Champions in less than thirty years after a period of consolidation during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Although not claiming to be a definitive history of Glamorgan, there is a good grounding for anyone who wants to trace the story of that county. Copiously illustrated and using contemporary newspaper details, there are tributes to the founding fathers, the pioneers and many of the distinguished players and matches that Cardiff has hosted. Two particular joys are the remarkably unsuccessful unveiling of 'Bodyline' by Arthur Carr in August 1932 following hard on the heels of a Test Trial in the July of that year. The latter match was hoped to ease the financial difficulties that Glamorgan was suffering but bad weather brought things to a head, although the resultant public response to an appeal may have given the club long-term benefits that were not merely financial.

The final part of the book deals with the change from ground to stadium that saw Sophia Gardens achieve its aim of being able to bring Test Cricket to Wales and to emerge with a new name. Judging by the success of that match, cricket is fortunate in having a new Test ground to add to existing stadia, which is not to ignore the dissent that other putative Test venues have uttered. It is to be hoped that future Test commitments can balance the conflicting claims of grounds from Hampshire to Durham and from to Lancashire to Wales, not forgetting Yorkshire, Birmingham, Nottingham and London. What is certain is that we are fortunate to have such an able and entertaining chronicler to bring us the story of this newest Test venue and the history of cricket in Cardiff.

review by John Symons

Publisher
The History Press Ltd.,
The Mill,
Brimscombe Port,
Stroud,
Gloucestershire
GL5 2QG
£20