Morris’ three England caps all came in the summer of 1991, including two against West Indies as he helped to secure a memorable 2-2 draw with victory in the final Test at The Oval. He also served as the team’s managing director from 2007 to 2013 – a period of rare success that encompassed three consecutive Ashes series wins and the World T20 title in 2010.
He also led England A tours to South Africa, West Indies and Sri Lanka. However, it was his long association with Glamorgan that will provide his most lasting legacy.
Born in Cardiff in 1963, he made his debut for the club when he was just 17, and went on to play for 17 seasons, before retiring in triumph as Glamorgan secured the County Championship in 1997.
Fittingly, Morris scored a crucial century in the first innings of their season-ending ten-wicket victory over Somerset at Taunton – his 52nd for the club, which equalled the longterm record he still jointly holds with Alan Jones. Then, in the second innings, he was not out at the non-striker’s end, as his long-term opening partner Steve James hit the winning runs.
By then he had handed the captaincy over to Matthew Maynard, but previously he had led the team to the Sunday League title in 1993 – the club’s first major silverware since 1969. In 1990, at the end of his first stint in charge, he set a club record of 2,276 championship runs, including 10 centuries. In all, he scored a career tally of 19,785 first-class runs, at an average of 40.29.
In retirement, Morris was appointed to a series of senior roles at the ECB that spanned the next 16 years, including a key role in setting up the national academy at Loughborough. In 2002, he was diagnosed with throat cancer, and underwent an operation that required the removal of all his glands. After receiving the all-clear in 2007, he returned to the ECB as managing director, and also served as patron of Heads Up, a charity focusing on head and neck cancer, for whom he helped to raise £300,000 over an eight-year period.
In 2013, Morris returned to Glamorgan as chief executive, at a time when the club was in severe financial peril – facing a deficit in the region of £17 million and at threat of liquidation. On his watch, the financial situation was revived, and by the time he retired from the role in December 2023, the club was once again in profit, thanks to prudent management as well as the successful staging of several international fixtures – including a second Ashes Test in 2015 – and the establishment of Welsh Fire in the Hundred.
Sadly, Morris’ health issues returned in 2021, when he was initially diagnosed with bowel cancer, before it was discovered to have spread to his liver. During his treatment in 2022, he was awarded the MBE for services to cricket and charity, in what turned out to be the Queen’s final birthday honours list.
Dan Cherry, Morris’ successor as chief executive, led the tributes on the club website.
“Everyone here at Glamorgan County Cricket Club and further afield are devastated on hearing the awful news about Hugh,” he wrote. “The last few years have been extremely difficult for him and his family, but we were pleased to see Hugh several times during the 2025 season here at Sophia Gardens.
“Hugh holds a very special place in the history of Glamorgan Cricket as well as in the hearts of the club’s supporters for his efforts, both on and off the field. He was a man of great energy and a true gentleman, whilst his achievements will live long in the club’s record books.
“Our thoughts and prayers at this tragic time are with his wife Debbie, their twin daughters Bethan and Emily, plus Hugh’s many friends from across the world of sport and former colleagues throughout the cricketing world.”