Wilf Hughes

Who was Wilf Hughes?

David Wilfred Hughes was a Welsh cricketer. Hughes was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm fast-medium. He was born in Ebbw Vale, Monmouthshire.

After studying science at Bangor University, Hughes became a teacher, taking up a teaching post in Northamptonshire. While teaching in Northamptonshire, he played club cricket for Kettering, with some success. His bowling later came to the attention of Glamorgan captain Maurice Turnbull when Glamorgan were in the county playing Northamptonshire, with Turnball being told about a Welsh cricketer who was getting "a bag of wickets every week". He was invited back to Cardiff Arms Park for a trial, impressing enough to be given a contract to player in the summer holidays.

His first-class debut for Glamorgan against the touring South Africans in 1935 was an eventful one. He took the wicket of Arthur Langton for the cost of 73 runs from 26 overs. With the bat, he scored 2 runs before being dismissed by Cyril Vincent. It was however in Glamorgan's second-innings that his debut became an eventful one, with Hughes scoring a quickfire unbeaten 70 runs as he and Cyril Smart put on 131 for the tenth wicket, to help save the match for Glamorgan. Hughes made a further 21 first-class appearances for Glamorgan, the last of which came against Leicestershire in the 1938 County Championship. As a bowler, he formed a useful partnership with the more experience Jack Mercer. He would take 52 wickets at an average of 32.53, with best figures of 5/70. These figures, one of two five wicket hauls he took, came against Leicestershire in 1936. A hard hitting batsman, Hughes scored 274 runs at a batting average of 10.96, with a high score of 70 not out.