In addition, his batting developed. In 1952, he made the first of what would prove to be seven career centuries with 114 against Glamorgan at Swansea, with four sixes and 11 fours. He passed 1,000 runs for the season for the first time in 1952, and then did so in each of the next four seasons. In the mid-1950s, he was batting higher in the order, often at No 3, though this was partly due to the weakness of the Somerset side, which finished bottom of the County Championship for four consecutive seasons from 1952 to 1955.