End of a wonderful era of cricket at city’s famous seaside ground

AROUND 150 years of sporting history at St Helen's - a ground where giants of cricket had their day in the sun came to end at 6.42pm on a blustery August afternoon when a 15-year-old Olchfa School pupil, Jacob Protheroe, was clubbed for four by Owen Barton, a 42-year-old former solicitor.

- Richard Youle reports

His boundary against the promising left-arm seamer sealed a win for Pontardawe Cricket Club's first team against hosts Swansea Cricket Club's second team in their final South Wales Cricket Association Division 3 match of the season.

The players shook hands, walked up the steps to the clubhouse, and cricket at St Helen's, as of August 31, was no more.

With regional rugby side the Ospreys set to redevelop the seaside ground into a rugby-only venue, the pitch where, 57 years ago to the day, West Indian all-rounder Sir Garfield Sobers had made history by hitting six sixes off an over, is surplus to requirements.

Swansea CC vice-chairman and treasurer Steve Davies, whose involvement with the club began 44 years ago, said he he'd been trying not to dwell on the impending end as he knew he would become "a bit emotional".

"The day we are facing today has been 30 years in the making," he said.

"The sword has been hanging over our head. We knew this day would come at some stage, and it has come today."

Swansea CC has celebrated its 150-year stay at the council-owned ground this year and is to relocate to an upgraded facility off Sketty Lane, Sketty, next season.

Mr Davies said there had been a period of stability two decades ago when fellow users of St Helen's, Swansea RFC, knew they'd be remaining at the ground while the recently created regional side Ospreys headed to a new stadium at Landore.

Then a revamped Sophia Gardens cricket ground - home of Welsh county side Glamorgan - opened in Cardiff and it felt like St Helen's was really up against it.

According to Mr Davies, there has also been "little or no capital investment" in St Helen's and that the cricket club "knew our time was up" when the council first shared proposals early in 2024, which could result in the Ospreys moving to the ground.