Baseball

The Cogan Playing Fields, abutting the back wall of Cogan Primary School's yard (a wall appearing as the base of the USA's Statue of Liberty in an episode of Doctor Who) are being well used on a fine afternoon as the Cogan and Fairoaks teams slug it out watched by supporters/critics. Welsh baseball, introduced in the 1890s, was popular in working class/Irish areas of Cardiff, Newport and Liverpool, Wales' own version of the game a combination of cricket and Gaelic rounders.

The basic elements of Welsh baseball are: teams of 11, underarm bowling, flat bat, two innings, runs scored at each base including the home base, hitting in any direction. The Fairoaks, from Cathays (which has a large cemetery), were initially known as the Cemetery Rovers until a winning team jibed they'd been “buried”. The school wall was seen in the 4th episode of the 3rd series of BBC Wales' Doctor Who, broadcast 21/4/2007. Baseball has waned since its 20thC heyday but has managed to retain its hold in Cardiff, with flourishing women's and youth leagues, and in Newport. This footage was shot by Chris Jenkins, stalwart of Cardiff Amateur Ciné Society and proprietor of 'Vanda's' hair salon, Charles Street.