Malcolm Nash

Career

Born in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Nash was a left-arm medium-pace bowler and useful lower-order left-handed batsman who played for Glamorgan. He made his debut for the county in 1966 and retired after the 1983 season. He captained the county in 1980 and 1981.

He played Minor Counties cricket for Shropshire in 1984 and 1985.

Gary Sobers' six sixes

Nash is best known for being the unfortunate victim of Garry Sobers' six sixes in as many balls on 31 August 1968 while bowling slow left-arm. The ball was sold by Christie's the auctioneers for £26,400 in November 2006 (even though there is some doubt as to whether it was actually the ball concerned).

In August 1977, he was also hit for five sixes and a four by Lancashire batsman Frank Hayes. Thus he became the only bowler to concede 36 and 34 runs off separate overs in first class cricket.

Nash normally bowled medium-fast, but at the time, impressed by the success Derek Underwood was enjoying, he was experimenting with spin bowling. He later commented, "Sobers came along and quickly ended my slow-bowling career. It was a pretty short experiment."

First-class career

Despite the Sobers episode, Nash took just under 1000 first-class wickets (including Sobers more than once) at a good average of just over 25. His best bowling figures were 9 for 56 (the tenth wicket fell to a run out) in the first innings against Hampshire in 1975, when he took 14 wickets in the match. He took 7 for 15 to dismiss Somerset for 40 in 1968.

He also scored two hundreds with the bat, and hit four consecutive sixes himself in one over. His top score was 130, made against Surrey in the first game of the 1976 season. Coming in with the score 65 for 6 in reply to 338, Nash reached his century in 76 minutes. His other century came in 1978 against Leicestershire, when he came in at 78 for 7 and made 124, including five sixes, one of which brought up his century.

When Glamorgan won the County Championship in 1969, going through the season undefeated, Nash was the side's leading wicket-taker, with 71 at 18.98 in 21 matches; he also made 435 runs at 22.89.

Limited-overs career

In a Benson and Hedges Cup match in 1976 Nash scored 103 not out against Hampshire, hitting 7 sixes and 7 fours, and reaching his century off 61 balls, after Glamorgan had been 85 for 6 when he came in. He then took 2 for 40 off 11 overs, Glamorgan won by 3 runs, and Nash won the match award. His best bowling was 6 for 29 against Worcestershire in the John Player League in 1975, when he took the last 5 wickets for 2 runs, including the hat-trick. Nevertheless, Worcestershire won by 48 runs.

Coaching career in USA

Nash retired from cricket in 1983, later becoming a cricket coach in California. Nash then moved to Kansas before returning to Wales in 2013.