Nash, the victim of Sobers’s six sixes, dies
FORMER Glamorgan star Malcolm Nash, the bowler famously smashed for six sixes in an over by cricketing great Sir Gary Sobers, has died aged 74.
He passed away in a London hospital after being taken ill at a function at Lord’s cricket ground on Tuesday night.
Left-arm bowler Nash was powerless as West Indies and Nottinghamshire captain Sobers repeatedly caned the ball over the boundary at St Helen’s, Swansea, to be the first batsman to complete the feat in first-class cricket.
What is often forgotten is that Nash was not bowling in his usual style, but was experimenting with slow left-arm as the visitors were approaching a declaration.
Sobers blasted the ball out of the ground near the Cricketers Arms pub — the ball was sold at auction 13 years ago for £26,400 — in August 1968, with black and white BBC Wales TV pictures of the feat being broadcast around the cricketing world.
Abergavenny-born Nash, who was 74, was in the undefeated Glamorgan team that won the County Championship in 1969, being its leading wicket-taker with 71.
He captained Glamorgan in 1980 and 1981, making 336 firstclass appearances during his 17 years with the Welsh county.
He made his first-class debut against Cambridge University at the Arms Park in 1966 and the following year he made his Championship debut against Yorkshire at Harrogate, and had it not been for a dropped catch would have had Geoff Boycott as his maiden wicket.
Nash took 993 wickets — he is fifth in the all-time list of Glamorgan wicket-takers — and made 7,129 runs as a batsman, his top score being 130.
He played Minor Counties cricket for Shropshire before spending time as a coach in California and Kansas in the United States, returning to live in Swansea six years ago.
Glamorgan chief executive Hugh Morris said: “Malcolm was a true Glamorgan legend whose exploits have gone down in club folklore.
“His name is connected with that of Gary Sobers and St Helen’s but he was a fantastic cricketer who was an integral part of the club’s history and the side that lifted the County Championship in 1969.
“Malcolm will be sorely missed by everyone at Glamorgan and throughout the cricketing world and we extend our deepest sympathies to his friends and family.”
Meanwhile, Glamorgan resume their Vitality Blast T20 campaign this evening when they face Gloucestershire at Sophia Gardens (7pm). They travel to Southampton to play Hampshire tomorrow, also starting at 7pm.