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John receives match ball for amazing figures of 7 for 0!
When Llechryd Cricket Club recently held their annual dinner and presentation there was a special award of a mounted cricket ball to John Curran in recognition of an amazing performance last season where he took seven wickets in just four overs, without conceding a single run.
The match was against a very strong Whitland team at under 15 level where John opened the bowling at the bottom end of the Llechryd pitch and not only bowled a maiden over but grabbed three wickets into the bargain. He started off with a full toss which clean bowled the Whitland opening bat and then took a return catch from the second delivery – and although he was denied a hat-trick with a dot ball he added a third victim from only the fourth delivery of the game when wicket-keeper Steve Lennard pouched a catch behind.
Couldn’t take all ten
John picked up another four victims in his other three overs, all of which were also maidens, and Whitland were in terrible trouble at 12 for 7 – but John was prevented from trying for all ten wickets by dint of the rules, which restrict every bowler to four overs.
Whitland showed their quality as they battled their way to 78 for 9 before Llechryd eased home by six wickets as John completed a fine performance with 16 of their runs. As coach Mervyn Ward said at the presentation of the match ball, mounted in a stand,
“It was a superb display of bowling and it is hard to believe that it has ever been achieved before.”
In presenting the match ball, Mervyn added,
“This is fitting recognition of a wonderful performance indeed!”
Other sports
But it is not only cricket that occupies John’s time because he also enjoys a range of other sports. He is a very talented young striker in football who plays up front for Cardigan AFC at under 15 level. He won the top goal-scorer award last season with 29 goals, including three hat-tricks, and is doing well again this season. He is a committed Manchester City supporter and has a healthy rivalry with dad Steve, who is a Tottenham Hotspurs fan!
John plays scrum half for both Cardigan School and Ceredigion, where his respective coaches are Mr Rob Evans and Mr Dyfed Edwards, whilst Ty Burton coaches the Cardigan RFC junior team where John is also involved, using his long pass and willingness to get involved as key factors in his game. They have recently beaten Pembrokeshire by 14-7 in Cardigan and lost 29-18 at Llandovery against East Carmarthenshire.
He is also a very keen young golfer at Cardigan Golf Club, on their challenging course at Gwbert, where he has dropped his handicap from 45 to 28 and had already won two competitions. His father Steve plays off a handicap of eight and when the two play it his greater experience which takes him to victory – but not without a good scrap from Curran junior!
Cricket is No 1
But it is cricket which remains as his No 1 sport after starting out as a six year old with Llechryd under 11s and taking a wicket and scoring four runs in his first game. He had practised in the back garden with Steve, who captained Llechryd for a number of years and was a key all-rounder, and since then he has represented the Pembrokeshire junior team run for his age group by Richard Howell (Narberth) and includes the likes of Jordan Howell, George Wilkins, Lewis Hicks, Sean Whitfield and Gavin Campbell. John has a top score for the county of 71 at Pontarddulais and has three other half centuries at that level, as well as one for his club team.
John also plays for Llechryd first XI and grabbed 3 for 16 last season against Pembroke Dock in a league match, with dad Steve and Steve Smith as the major influences on his play so far. Ask him what his ambitions are and John would say,
“As far as I possibly can.”
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