Cyril Walters

Who was Cyril Walters?

Cyril Frederick Walters was a Welsh cricketer who had most of his success after leaving Glamorgan to do duty as captain-secretary of Worcestershire. In this role he developed his batting to such an extent that for a brief period he became an England regular and even captained them in one match as a deputy for Bob Wyatt. However, he unexpectedly completely gave up cricket soon after that, to the dismay of his country and county.

Walters was born Bedlinog, Glamorgan, Wales. Originally from Neath Grammar School, he first played for Glamorgan as a seventeen-year-old in 1923. Although he only made one score of over fifty in three full seasons, Glamorgan's batting was of such a standard that he remained in the eleven, especially with his energetic fielding. The following year, his business as a surveyor and architect kept him out of the team in the first half of the season, but on returning he improved phenomenally with 116 in his first match against Warwickshire and 114 against Leicestershire. These innings showed him as a classically graceful batsman with many strokes and led to him being seen as an England prospect.

However, business prevented Walters playing in 1927 after May, and Worcestershire, interested in having a permanent secretary, saw him as an ideal candidate. He accepted the position of secretary to that county in 1928 and, despite playing without success for Glamorgan in a few matches that year, began a period of qualification for Worcestershire. Though his sole first-class match in 1929 was for Wales against the MCC, when qualified in 1930 Walters' batting helped Worcestershire rise from perennial wooden-spooners to a respectable position.