Brief profile of Malcolm Nash by Dr.A.K.Hignell

Player:

Malcolm Nash will always be remembered as the bowler struck by Sir Garfield Sobers for six sixes in an over during the match with Nottinghamshire at Swansea in 1968. What is often forgotten however, is that Nash was not bowling in his usual style, but was experimenting instead with slow left-arm as the visitors were approaching a declaration.

Nash was a lively left-arm seam bowler who during the 1970`s was one of the best new ball bowlers in county cricket. Indeed, he was rated by the legendary Barry Richards, the legendary Springbok batsman, as one of the most difficult bowlers with the new ball he faced whilst playing county cricket with Hampshire. Nash owed his success as a left arm seamer to the knack of being able to move the ball both ways. Visiting batsmen were therefore unsure whether the ball would swing in or out, and Nash invariably dismissed several top order batsmen once the shine was on the ball.

He was also a highly effective and economical bowler in limited over games, and Nash frequently delivered his allocation of eight overs in the Sunday League straight through with a minimal cost. Indeed, Nash still holds the record for the most economical spell for the Welsh county, returning figures of 8-4-8-1 and 8-4-8-2 against Lancashire in 1973 and 1980.

Besides his bowling, Nash was a swashbuckling tail end batsman, capable of producing an explosive innings. Indeed, in 1976 he scored a century before lunch off just 61 balls against Surrey at The Oval, whilst in 1976 he became Glamorgan`s first centurion in the Benson and Hedges competition, with 103 against Hampshire at Swansea.

Nash led Glamorgan in 1980 and 1981, before retiring at the end of the 1983 season with a total of 993 wickets to his name in all first-class cricket.

(December 2003)