Cricket News . . . from PembrokeshireSport.co.uk

18th January 2010

County Cricket loses a top former administrator

Cricket lovers in Pembrokeshire and much farther afield will be immensely saddened at the news of the passing away of John Isaac, rightly regarded as one of the county club's finest administrators, excellent umpire and lovely gentleman.
John joined the County Club executive committee in 1963 and was Hon Treasurer of the County Club for 26 years from 1965 to 1991. He was deservedly honoured with life membership and then the presidency from 1995 to 1998 to complete a superb service spanning 35 years.
He played cricket for the Thomarians and his umpiring earned him selection for the finals of all cup competitions in the county, including no fewer than four Harrison-Allen Finals, and he was rightly held in high regard by cricketers young and old because of his unflappable nature and common-sense approach to his decisions.
John was also heavily involved in Bridge and after playing the card game at the old MHPC Club he was a founder member of the Haverfordwest Bridge Club and gave over 40 years yeoman service there, as well as being the non-playing captain of the Welsh team which was the first competitive team to visit Northern Ireland after the troubles there. His endeavours earned him the presidency of the Welsh Bridge Association and John was rightly proud of his involvement.
But above all else John was a gentleman of sport who earned the respect of all who met him as a player or administrator and on a personal note I thought he typified all that was good in Pembrokeshire Sport – and he will be sorely missed by all who knew him. Our deepest condolences go to his wonderful wife Betty, Dai, Jan and the boys, plus the rest of his family.

17th January 2010

Indoor Cricket Week One: Sponsored by Nick Evans of the Cricket Shop

Whitland start with a bang

Whitland showed that they are again going to be in the final shake-up for honours in the Indoor Cricket League which is sponsored by Nick Evans, under the auspices of the Pembroke County Cricket Club, as they beat off week one challenges from Saundersfoot and Haverfordwest B.
Organised by Wendy Bradshaw and with Alan Hansen and Les Hastings as the umpires, the season made a promising start at the Meads Leisure Centre in Milford Haven today (Sunday), with some good cricket and a promising start from the young, inexperienced side from Saundersfoot who lost by a single run to Haverfordwest B in an exciting opening fixture.

Match One:

Haverfordwest B (78 for 3) beat Saundersfoot (77 for 5)

Scorer: Jack Franklin

Haverfordwest started quite well through veterans Andrew Phillips (six threes in his 21) and John Tooze (19, including one four) before both were run out by some good fielding from Sam Butler and Simon Stanford. Saundersfoot conceded 16 extras as Nigel Jenkins (8), James Morris (8 not out) and Chris Phillips (6 not out) were the other Town batsmen, whilst Sam Franklyn (1 for 15), Yannick Parker (0 for 11) and Richard Cope bowled well for the Seasiders.
Josh Hicks removed Sam Butler (3) with the aid of a catch from Haverfordwest keeper Nigel Jenkins but Simon Stanford (13) and especially Nick Cope (retired at 25) took Saundersfoot forward. But they lost quick wickets to Chris Phillips, Andrew Phillips (2 for 9) and James Morris, who struck the vital final blow as Chris Phillips caught Nick Cope (two sixes, a four and three threes in his 33) from the penultimate ball of the innings. Richard Cope looked good for his 16 not out but Saundersfoot were a tantalising single short of a tie in their very first match!

Match Two:

Whitland (116 for 2) beat Saundersfoot (81 all out)

Scorer: Jack Franklin

Whitland have experienced exponents of the indoor game in Paul Davies, Dai Lee and Ed John, who all made their presence felt in this tussle with respective scores of 30, 25 and 26 before retiring with a string of threes to their credit and Davies driving a straight six. Skipper mark Lee, another top indoor player, managed six runs before Sam Franklyn took a good return catch and Carl Smith was run out for six runs.
Nick Cope again led the Saundersfoot batting with 25 but was bowled by Paul Davies, whilst Dai Lee (2 for 2) Matthew Davies (2 for 8) and Edward John (1 for 22) were the other wicket takers. Sam Franklyn batted really well for his 28 (three sixes) but Saundersfoot finished up well behind on 81 all out.

Match Three:

Whitland (120 for 2) beat Haverfordwest B (86 all out)

Scorer: Gemma Phillips

Whitland’s batting machine was soon smoothly in operation against Haverfordwest B as Paul Davies had five 3s and a six in his undefeated 28, Dai Lee stroked eight3s in his 25 not out and brother Mark was also unbeaten on 26 not out, including three successive fours off James Morris. Ed John had two sixes in his 13 runs before he was caught off the wall by keeper Nigel Jenkins, diving low to scoop up a fine catch. Matthew Davies (13) and Carl Smith (9 not out) kept the scoreboard ticking over and the end product was a big score.
Chris Phillips and Nigel Jenkins helped Haverfordwest put on 45 in the first 3 overs but Jenkins departed for 19, run out alongside John Tooze and James Morris. Phillips was finally dismissed for a battling 45, the highest score of the day but The Town B had to settle for a final tally of 86 for 6 as Whitland fielded superbly.

8th December 2009

Wonderful West Indian Experience for young cricketers

After 18 months of organising, the PACC Youth Development Cricket team embarked on a once in a lifetime tour to Barbados.
The group of 47 travelled out from Gatwick on the 22nd of October for 10 nights to play three games against local opposition. The squad of 16 players made up from Cresselly, Carew, Haverfordwest, Burton and Saundersfoot cricket clubs and four players from West Carmarthenshire, made the eight-hour trip to Barbados under the watchful eyes of their families, coaches Chris Campbell, Rhydian Rees and tour manager Colin Murphy.
Relaxing start The first couple of days were spent relaxing at the “Boatyard” where the group enjoyed a beach party and also tried their luck off rope swings and inflatable pyramids into the beautiful Caribbean Sea. Some of the parents even tried and failed on the swings, much to the amusement of the players. The following day, the whole group chartered a catamaran and spent five hours along the west coast snorkelling amongst turtles and sunken wrecks, with as much food and drink as one could consume, the kids faces beamed, saying this was possibly the best day of their life!
First Game - Foundation School
PACC won the toss and it is an unwritten rule that the home side bat first, score a massive total and bowl the tourists out for very little, so when the captain of Foundation School walked back to the pavilion after the toss and said they were bowling it caused a bit of a stir! Saundersfoot’s Sam Butler chipped away at the bowling but was given out LBW for 10, but the middle order batsmen steadied the ship and got the county up to 90 for 4 with Jack Maynard 45, Jack Murphy 16 and Gavin Campbell 9 all contributing with the bat. Then a fine cameo innings of 54 from Scott Maynard got the total up to 185 for 9 off 40 overs. It is fair to say that the Pembrokeshire boys hadn’t faced anything of this speed before; the left-hander James Jones was particularly sharp. PACC came out to bowl, these boys had not experienced heat like this before, and it was a case of bowl three overs and off!
The Foundation School openers came out to bat, not a helmet in sight! Baseball caps and chewing gum, very Viv Richards-like. Wickets fell early and a great run out got rid of the danger man on 39, and with Tom Arthur taking 2 for 27, Dewi Jones 2 for 10 and 3 of the best catches you will ever see a youth player take, changed the game. George Wilkins was totally unplayable with 1 for 13 and with the light fading Luke Hicks cleared up the tail with 2 for 17. In all Pembrokeshire used 13 bowlers to get everyone involved. The Foundation Schools Coach‘s face was a picture as the parents invaded the pitch to hug the heroes.
2nd Game - Lodge School
This was the 2nd opposition and a bit of a mess up with the start times meant this game had to be reduced to 25 overs each as a football match was taking place on the pitch! Not what we wanted to hear as this meant that the bowlers would only have 3 overs each. Lodge School batted first and got up to a healthy 145 for 7. Two excellent run outs and the spin of George Wilkins, who again took 2 for 15 off 4 overs, did most of the damage. Tom Arthur (1 for 7) bowled very well, Rishi Ranjan, Ashley James and Tom Murphy also kept it tight, the Carmarthen boys of Jack Maynard and Jack Wilson chipped in with a couple of wickets. Sam Butler had a torrid time from the Umpire who called him for numerous front foot no-balls, which were not.
PACC opened the batting with Sam Butler, who again scored well, getting the score up to 30 before the first wicket fell. Then a batting collapse…… only Scott Maynard on 20 got into double figures and the Lodge bowlers dominated and we had no answer to their excellent bowling. PACC were all out for 92. Again all the group tucked into Fried Chicken, fish and salads. Then there were a couple of days rest and a trip on the 4x4 safari around the island and a day’s deep sea fishing was the order, again the boys saying this was one of the best days ever!
Third Game - Deighton Griffith School With 16 players all eager to play, it was difficult for the coaches to make decisions, but as it happened all the players batted twice and had a go at bowling. PACC won the toss and batted first; things looked good as Jack Murphy got off the mark with a six! But again a massive batting collapse saw no other batsman get into double figures, resulting in the PACC team being all out for 134, Jack Murphy ending up on 56, with ‘Mr Extras’ on 36. So the PACC bowlers came out to field on what was one of the hottest day of the tour, the openers from Deighton Griffiths School set about the bowlers and the score ticked over until Corey Morris trapped the opener LBW for 16. The other opener and a name to remember T Dottin smashed the ball to the boundary and finished unbeaten on 52. Corey again got an LBW decision to get rid of the number 3 batsman and another wicket fell with a good run out but with the score ticking over Deighton Griffith School passed the total for 3 wickets in just 17 overs.
Thank you
All of the players, parents and guardians had a wonderful time in Barbados and they were all a credit to Pembrokeshire. The coaches and manager would like to thank the players and parents for all the hard work have done over the past 18 months with fund raising and making sure that this tour will last in the memories of everybody forever. Also thank you to every company, person and organisation who has contributed to the fund raising. All the sponsors have been named in the tour programme.
Tour Highlights - Three games of wonderful cricket - West Coast Catamaran Snorkel Trip - 4x4 Jeep Safari - Boatyard Beach Party - Oistins on a Friday Night - Trip to the Kensington Oval - Jet Skis - Deep Sea Fishing - Public Transport - Hotel Happy hours - Lucy Morris’s 18th Birthday.
Picture: Back Row:  Colin Murphy (Manager); Rhydian Rees (Coach) Middle Row: Chris Campbell (coach); Dan Jones; Dewi Penrhyn Jones; Jack Murphy; Ashley James; Jack Maynard; Gavin Campbell; Sam Butler. Front Row: Scott Maynard; Jack Wilson; Lewis Hicks; Tom Arthur; Tom Murphy; George Wilkins; Rishi Ranja; Corey Morris. Inset: Luke Hicks

14th October

Neyland cricket club receive development grant

The Neland Cricket Club is pleased to announce that they have been awarded a grant for a two-bay synthetic practice area which will boost the Club’s coaching and training programme.
The grant of £32,353 was jointly funded by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Sports Council for Wales (SCW).
The Neyland Cricket Club was identified by the Cricket Board of Wales as a club deserving of support because of the strength of their junior development programme and their efforts to develop and promote women’s cricket.
Neyland delight
The Club’s Development Manager, Paul Miller, said “We were really delighted when we were awarded the grant because the provision of an up-graded practice area was a priority need. The high specification pitches are excellent and provide the ideal practice facilities for the development of young cricketers. We have over 90 junior members at the club and a women’s cricket section and the new facility will enable us to have a much more structured coaching programme for all age groups including the senior cricketers.”
“We have made good progress in recent years and we have further ground development plans on the drawing board. We have also worked closely with five local schools through the ‘Chance to shine’ scheme and through this coaching programme we have increased participation in the playing of the game and we expect to see a further growth in our junior membership next season.”
Club gratitude
“The total project cost was £43,103 and we are most grateful to the ECB and SCW for their most generous support as we could not afford this new facility from our own resources. We also acknowledge with gratitude the support given to us by the Lord’s Taverners and the Neyland Town Council. We regard the grants as an investment in cricket at the Club for the future.”
Sports Council comment
The Chairman of the Sports Council for Wales, Phil Carling, said, “With the funding and support from the Welsh Assembly Government, the Sports Council for Wales is helping to transform the sporting landscape in Wales. The considerable investment with community sport, facilities, equipment and coaches has impacted on communities throughout Wales and is helping to raise participation rates across the board.”
“We are eager to not only see more people playing sport and keeping fit but we also want to see people improving their performances. In many sports, Wales punches above its weight and to ensure that we continue to do that, projects like that of Neyland Cricket Club are essential.”
CBW Compliment
Jeremy Cartwright, the Senior Cricket Development Officer for the Cricket Board of Wales, said “I am pleased that the Club has been awarded the grant because they have an outstanding cricket development programme and they have worked hard to promote cricket in the schools and the community generally. The Cricket Board for Wales recommended the Club because Neyland have enthusiastically embraced all the ECB development policies and the facility is key to the further development of cricket in that locality.”
ECB Investment
The ECB’s Funding and Facilities Manager, Bruce Cruse, said “The ECB is delighted to support this project. Investments of this type have a direct and tangible effect on inspiring future generations to play cricket. The ECB and its partners invest over £5 million per annum in grass roots cricket creating new opportunities and influencing others to implement improvement plans.”
“I am confident that this project will not only improve sports provision but also create a legacy for the future.”

22nd September

Richard is deserved Antur winner

The winner of the Antur Pembroke County Cricket League player of the month for August is Richard Harris of Cresselly.
Richard has been used mainly as a bowler this season and during August he took eight wickets at an average of 13.125.
In the match against title rivals Carew, however, he showed he has not lost his batting skills either in scoring a vital 51 not out to steer Cresselly to victory, a win that went a long way in securing the First Division title.
For winning the award Richard receives a bottle of champagne from Antur Insurance and a cricket voucher jointly sponsored by the County Club and The Cricket Shop, Narberth.
Richard is pictured receiving his award from County Chairman Trefor Evans.

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September 16th

Kilgetty U11 Juniors win back to back league titles

Saturday September 12th was the Pembrokeshire County Cricket Club U11 cricket league final between Kilgetty and Haverfordwest, played on the warmest day of the summer at Haverfordwest Cricket Club, with Kilgetty winning the title for the second year in a row as they scored 274 and limited Haverfordwest 197.

Early wickets

Jac Waters of Kilgetty captained the side for the day and put Haverfordwest in to bat – and the home team got off to a good start, taking early singles which got the run rate going quickly until Ewan Meredith took two early wickets. Kilgetty then got on top of the game with accurate bowling by Kurtis Marsh and Toby Poole, each taking two wickets apiece. Sean Webb and Jac Waters bowled with rhythm and Waters also took wickets in his spell. Liam Cullen kept wicket and proved why he is the county wicket keeper with a sharp stumping off the bowling of Poole. Kilgetty’s pace bowler Tom Murphy maintained his good season, keeping the last few overs very tight and he was backed up by the reliable Ben Palin, who also bowled consistent line and length. Kilgetty kept the fielding tight and had three good run outs that brought the Haverfordwest innings to a conclusion on 197 runs in the allotted 20 overs.

Solid batting

Opening the batting for the Kilgetty side was Ben Palin and Toby Poole, who got the innings off to a good start with the first ball going to the boundary with a square drive. Poole and Palin looked comfortable against the opening attack and Poole finished up on 10 runs in the pairs allotted time. The promising Sean Webb played the bowling with ease, backed up by two lovely cover drives for four by Jack Broadhurst, who finished up on 8. Tom Murphy and Jac Waters kept the middle order going with Murphy scoring a quick 9 runs in his pair. The cavalier Cullen batted with authority for his 12 supported by James Harries. Kurtis Marsh and Ewan Meredith batted well to show why they are top county players. Marsh finished up top scorer with 21 in a positive innings. James May and Harry Vickery ended the innings with Kilgetty winning comfortably. For the final only 12 boys could play, but during the season Daniel Davies and Rhys Denahey played in the league games and also contributed to the success.

Squad Thank You

Kilgetty U11 team would like to thank Louise Waters, Micky Marsh and Ian Poole for their coaching and support over the seasons, and also Mr Teddy George, a lifelong stalwart and former player of Kilgetty who scored all season. In addition, thanks go to their sponsors, Pembrokeshire Mortgage Centre Ltd, for their sponsorship and all of their parents for taking them to the games.

9th September 2009

Fishguard youngsters work hard for Ormond Plate success

Fishguard & Goodwick Under 17's finished their season on a high note by beating their counterparts from Hook and winning the Ormond Youth Plate, despite the fact that recent poor weather saw them play both semi-final and final over the course of a weekend. The semi final against Saundersfoot was played on the Friday at Burton and saw Fishguard amass a huge 147 for in 16 overs thanks mainly to Matthew Morgan, with 65 and Charles George with 38. In reply, Saundersfoot were restricted to 80 with two wickets apiece for Rhys Dalling and Matthew Morgan, ably supported by James Wade and Sam Kurtz.

Sunday silverware

The final on Sunday was held at Lawrenny Cricket Club with Hook as their opponents in a two-innings format. Fishguard captain Sam Kurtz lost the toss and Fishguard were invited to bat first. They scored 127 for 4 thanks to excellent contributions from Charles George with 40 and Vaughan Davies with 35 as Tom Blaxland and Jack Britton shared the four wickets for Hook.
Hook were restricted to 82 as Tom Blaxland (20), Matthew John (19) and Daniel Bryce were their top scorers and the wickets were shared amongst the bowlers giving Fishguard a first innings lead of 45 runs.

Pressure maintained

In their second innings Fishguard posted another excellent total of 130 for 4 wickets where the main contributions this time came from Matthew Morgan, with 53 not out, Rhys Dalling (26) and Vaughan Davies again contributing well with 22.
Hook were never likely to reach the 176 runs needed for victory and finished on 100 for 6 thanks to useful innings from Tom Blaxland (26) and Jamie Wicks (31 not out) - and excellent bowling and fielding, well marshalled by Kurtz, saw Fishguard as the deserved victors by 75 runs.

8th September 2009

Richard and Tony fly Pembrokeshire's cricketing flag with distinction

Pembrokeshire umpires Richard Merriman (Whitland) and Tony Scourfield (Carew) made the journey to the Swalec Stadium in Cardiff on Sunday to officiate at the Welsh Cup Final between Cardiff and Swansea.
Both were invited to the pre-match lunch but decided to focus on their duties and in a very good final Cardiff defeated Swansea by 34 runs to complete the double, since they had won the Welsh Premier title the previous day.

Both Richard and Tony enjoyed their stint in the middle at the test match venue and PembrokeshireSport.co.uk congratulates them both on their selection - and flying the Pembrokeshire flag with such distinction!

2nd September 2009

Jack earns selection for Barbados tour - and helps out with Under 10s

Congratulations are due to Cresselly's talented young left arm fast bowler Jack Murphy on his selection for the West of England under 15 team which will tour Barbados in March 2010.
Jack helped Cresselly win the Alec Colley Cup this season and bowled really well throughout the season - and showed what a mature head he has on young shoulders by travelling with coaches Ian Poole and Adrian Griffiths, and the Pembrokeshire under 10 squad, for the Cricket Festival for their age group in Aberystwyth.
He was a great help throughout and scored at all three matches to further lighten the work-load for Ian and Adrian.
He also showed during the Alec Colley Cup Final that he is a far better tipster than the editor of PembrokeshireSport.co.uk - and we wish this modest and likeable young man well for what should be a wonderfully rewarding trip to the West Indies!

1st September 2009

Pembs Umpires honoured with Welsh Cup Final

Many congratulations go to local cricket umpires Richard Merriman (Whitland) and Tony Scourfield (Carew) on their appointment for the Welsh Cup Final at the Swalec Stadium in Cardiff this Sunday (6th September).
They will officiate the match between Cardiff and Swansea, which will be played over 45 overs per side, and PembrokeshireSport.co.uk joins all Pembrokeshire Cricket lovers in wishing them a cracking day at the Swalec Stadium!

29th August 2009

Scott bows out on a high

Scott Jones finished the cricket season on a high after a successful tour with Pembrokeshire U11’s at The Royal Hospital School, Suffolk. He then joined the Welsh under 11 team and achieved his highest score of 95 for Wales U11’s against Worcestershire at Ombersley Cricket Club on Sunday, August 23rd.
Earlier in the season he had taken 5 wickets for 25 runs against Leicestershire, the first time in 12 years, that a Welsh International had accomplished this feat, where in total he has taken over 20 wickets. He now hangs up his cricketing whites for this season, only to don the whites of Swansea City F.C., where he has already had pre-season games against Bristol City, Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Having said all that he remains a staunch Cardiff City fan!

22nd August 2009

Kevin's on the mend

His many sporting friends around the county will be delighted to hear that popular Saundersfoot cricketer Kevin Sykes is back at home after his road accident and beginning his fight back to fitness. Kevin and his family have been really boosted by the kindness shown by clubs and players from all around the county - and he is looking forward to getting out when he can to thank people, especially his pals at Saundersfoot Cricket Club.

17th August 2009

Pembrokeshire U11’s bounce back

Pembrokeshire U11’s were caught out at Maesteg Celtic on Sunday, 2nd August on a very damp wicket, where they were asked to bat against a Mid Glam team who had already beaten last year’s champions Gwent – and Pembrokeshire could have few complaints about defeat.

Scott bows out on a high.

Scott Jones finished the cricket season on a high after a successful tour with Pembrokeshire U11’s at The Royal Hospital School, Suffolk. He then joined the Welsh under 11 team and achieved his highest score of 95 for Wales U11’s against Worcestershire at Ombersley Cricket Club on Sunday, August 23rd .  

Earlier in the season he had taken 5 wickets for 25 runs against Leicestershire, the first time in 12 years, that a Welsh International had accomplished this feat, where in total he has taken over 20 wickets. He now hangs up his cricketing whites for this season, only to don the whites of Swansea City F.C., where he has already had pre-season games against Bristol City, Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Having said all that he remains a staunch Cardiff City fan!  

Ten wicket loss

Some excellent bowling by Mid Glamorgan and not one of Pembrokeshire’s better batting displays saw them bowled out for 48. The only notable performance was from Philip Llewellyn and Geraint Jones who hit the first six of the season. A close run out and some half chances saw Pembrokeshire lose by 10 wickets as Mid Glamorgan all-rounders Sam Pearce and Stefan Roberts took 4 wickets apiece and scored 21 and 27 runs not out respectively.

Real test of character

The next game from North East Wales was going to be a true test of character. Heavy rain at the beginning of the week and with Whitland under water, the game was changed to Bosherston & Stackpole at the last minute and great credit must go to the work of Phil Tallett, who enabled the game to be played, albeit in very damp conditions, to the delight of the two teams.
Put into bat again, Kurtis Marsh and Jack Parkinson contributed 45 in 12 overs before Parkinson (20) was bowled and Marsh retired injured. It was great to see that the rest of the middle order – Scott Jones, Tomos Lewis, Philip Llewellyn and Ewan Meredith all reached double figures and with Marsh (33) coming back in at the end. Lewis Filer and John Spencer (2-4), with the pick of the North East Wales bowlers, with Pembrokeshire finishing on 141-8 in 40 overs.

County come up trumps

With conditions drying out, it looked some 20-30 runs short but George Williams continued his tight bowling, conceding only 2 runs in his 4 overs and Greg Thompson picked up 2 wickets at the other end. Pembrokeshire picked up wickets at regular intervals with Thomas Pritchard (1-4), Elgan Roberts (2-7), Jacob Knox (2-10) and Tomos Lewis (1-17). There were some good catches, especially from wicket keeper Philip Llewellyn, who caught two whilst standing up to the wicket. Gareth Spencer (13) and John Samson (10) were the North East Wales batsmen in double figures.

Deserved third spot and a trip to look forward to

There was an excellent spread prepared by the parents and was enjoyed by all, including the North East Wales spectators. The game was well umpired by John Williams and Ray Kane and this result placed Pembrokeshire 3rd in the league table, with the whole team looking forward to their trip to Ipswich.

11th August, 2009

Ian picks up Antur award

The winner of the Antur Pembroke County Cricket League ‘Player of the Month’ for July is Ian Sefton of Carew, in recognition of his excellent all-round performances during the period.
During the month Ian had scores of 81 not out, 28 and 38 to give a total of 147 runs at an average of 73.5. Having now been called upon to bowl again, he had figures of 3 for 33, 0 for 18 and 4 for 23, a total of seven wickets at an average of 10.6. Ian also took four catches to complete an excellent all round display.
For winning the award Ian received a bottle of champagne from Phil James of Antur Insurance and a cricket voucher jointly sponsored by the County Club and The Cricket Shop, Narberth.
Our picture, provided by Trefor Evans, the chairman of the Antur Pembroke County Cricket Club, shows Phil James, Ian Sefton and Trefor Evans at the official presentation.

11th August 2009

Pembrokeshire under 10’s continue winning form

Pembrokeshire (140 for 4) beat Carmarthenshire (65 all out)

Pembrokeshire Under 10s continued their winning streak at Drefach Cricket Club as they achieved their sixth win of the regional season by beating their counterparts from Carmarthenshire.
Liam Cullen of Kilgetty captained the county side and decided to bat on a good flat pitch, and opened the batting with Kieran Griffiths as they put on a solid first wicket partnership of 33 before Cullen was caught and bowled for 21, which included one six and two fours in a cavalier innings. David Cromwell came to the crease with Griffiths and got the score up to 52 before Cromwell was bowled – and Toby Poole of Kilgetty continued to bat impressively and taking the attack to the Carmarthen bowling, joined Griffiths in quickly pushing the total to 118, sharing a partnership of 66, before Griffiths was bowled for an excellent top score of 43. Poole then retired on 35 not out, which allowed James Davies of Burton and Tom Hughes of Neyland to take the total, after the allotted 35 overs to 140 for 4, with Davies 11 not out and Hughes 8 not out.

Steady bowling reaps rewards

Opening the bowling for the county was Iori Hicks of Carew, who bowled with accuracy and rhythm in his three overs whilst Callum James of Hook bowled his away swing well in his excellent spell, taking one wicket. Ben Palin backed him up with his consistent line and length and Jac Waters bowled well in his spell, taking a wicket, caught by Murphy, at short cover.
Leading wicket takers for Pembs were Tom Hughes (3 for 3 in 3 overs) and James Davies (2 for 4 in a very accurate spell of inswing bowling). Other wicket takers were Kieran Griffiths and Tom Murphy, who again bowled with good pace while Toby Poole bowled his leg spin with great control. Murphy finished off the Carmarthenshire boys, backed up with excellent keeping by Liam Cullen behind the wickets, taking two quick stumpings as Carmarthenshire finished up on 65 all out in 35 overs.

Aberystwyth Tour

Pembrokeshire under 10s will participate in a three day tour with all the Welsh regions on Monday 17th – 19th August, playing three regional games in the festival at Aberystwyth Cricket Club and Vicarage Fields Cricket Club. The purpose of the tour is to develop the best cricketers in Wales and for them to have enjoyment and build team spirit. The following players have been selected for Pembrokeshire: Sean Coaker (Narberth); Kieran Griffiths (Haverfordwest); Toby Poole (Kilgetty); Tom Murphy (Kilgetty); Kieran O’Connor (Haverfordwest ); Liam Cullen (Kilgetty); Callum Woods (Burton); James Davies (Burton); Jac Waters (Kilgetty); Ben Palin (Kilgetty); Iori Hicks (Carew); Callum James (Hook); Tom Hughes (Neyland)

4th August 2009

Poole and Murphy star for Pembrokeshire under 10’s Pembrokeshire (153 for 5) beat Carmarthenshire (23 all out)

Venue: Cresselly Cricket Club

Toby Poole and Tom Murphy of Kilgetty Cricket Club were the undoubted stars of Pembrokeshire Under 10’s big win at Cresselly Cricket Club as they guided the team to their fifth win of the regional season. Poole batted impressively to a career best of 51 (including four boundaries) before being run out with only two overs to go in the innings.
Murphy helped him along the way with an excellent 19 runs, backed up with very hostile bowling as he finished with figures of 3 for 14. The pair also put on a stand of 96 for the fourth wicket before Murphy was also run out with a direct hit.

Big batting stand

Kieran O’Connor captained the side and Pembrokeshire were put into bat so that Sean Coaker opened the batting with Kieran Griffiths of Haverfordwest but the inform Griffiths was bowled without scoring in the first over. Coaker looked good for his nine runs, including a superb straight drive for four down the ground. Poole and Murphy then took the score up to 110 whilst Ian Cullen was unlucky to be adjudged lbw to the excellent leg spin of promising Ellis Richards. Captain O’Connor, who has recently joined Haverfordwest from Fishguard, batted with authority for his 25 not out, backed up by Tom Hughes, who finished 2 not out at the close of play, with Pembrokeshire finishing up on their best score of the season at 153 for 5.

Top bowling

Tom Murphy bowled with real pace for a ten year old as he quickly ripped into the Carmarthenshire innings, taking three quick wickets. Opening the bowling from the clubhouse end was Jac Waters of Kilgetty, who bowled his away swing with accuracy and took one wicket in his excellent spell. The promising Iori Hicks of Carew bowled with great determination and ended his spell taking two wickets and Ben Palin backed him up with his consistent line and length. Callum James (Hook) also took a wicket in his stint and the lovely off spin of Callum Woods finally was too much for the Carmarthenshire boys as he took the last two wickets of the game, both caught superbly by Murphy at short point.
Carmarthenshire finished up on 23 all out in 14.1 overs to give Pembrokeshire a convincing victory by 130 runs.

Great groundsman

The Pembs under 10 squad, team coach and manager would like to thank Mr Glyn Cole of Cresselly for allowing the team to play on their superb ground as the team were struggling to find a dry ground for the fixture. The game of cricket would not be possible if it were not for groundsmen like Glyn who put so much effort into other people’s enjoyment.
Thank you Glyn.

26th July 2009

St Helen’s Balconiers’ Cricket Club treat for Pembrokeshire Cricket Clubs

St Helen’s Balconiers’ are a group of St Helen’s based Glamorgan supporters who have offered members and supporters of Pembrokeshire Cricket Clubs a special VIP package with lunch and match ticket to attend next week’s County Championship match at Swansea between Glamorgan and Middlesex. Recognising that Glamorgan supporters often find it difficult to travel to Glamorgan matches in Cardiff, Society chairman John Williams said,
“On each day that cricket is played in the Middlesex match at St Helen’s from Thursday August 20 until Sunday August 23, we have arranged an exclusive value for money package with lunch for Pembrokeshire cricket clubs at an inclusive price of £35 per head. Cricket Clubs or groups of their supporters can reserve a private table for 10-20 persons to include morning coffee on arrival, a three course carvery lunch in the Pavilion, private viewing facilities, a VIP match ticket, afternoon tea, complimentary match programme and score card and a private cash bar."
"The offer is also available to cricket umpires, scorers, cricket coaches and cricket association committees. Smaller groups can share a private table with neighbouring clubs or associations”.
Bookings and further information can be obtained from John Williams by telephoning (01792) 414333 or 07973 479613 or by emailing john.balconiers@hotmail.com

Get well soon Kevin His many cricketing friends around the county will be very sorry to hear that Kevin Sykes, the battling fast bowler who has served Saundersfoot Cricket Club so well, after previously playing for Tenby, has been involved in an accident. It means that Kevin will be out of action for some time but his many friends around Pembrokeshire, and especially his team-mates at Saundersfoot, wish him a speedy recovery and return to the game. I’ve always enjoyed his company, on and off the pitch, and hope he’s back in action soon. Bill Carne

25th July Nick earns Antur award Nick Scourfield was chosen as Antur’s June player of the month, held under the auspices of the Pembroke County Cricket Club, for his services as Carew’s ‘Mr Reliable’ opening bat. The award, provided by Antur Insurance, the county club’s main sponsors, recognised his excellent form with the bat during the month as he started off with something of a bang with a cracking 103 not out against neighbours Cresselly in a match that Carew drew. Nick followed this up with a typically gritty 56 in a win over Whitland and then only just missed out on another half century as he scored 49 runs against Hook in another Carew victory to give him a total of 208 runs at a June average of 104. He has also made a very good start to the league programme in July as he scored 42 runs in a win against Neyland and added 36 not out in the Harrison-Allen Bowl against Whitland to maintain a remarkable run of good form for the popular Carew opening bat. He received his award from Marian Church of Antur Insurance, who congratulated him on his efforts, and there was also a special award of a kit voucher from Nick Evans, of the Cricket Shop. Our picture shows Marian Church, Nick Scourfield, Nick Evans and Trefor Evans, the Chairman of the Pembroke County Cricket Club. PembrokeshireSport.co.uk would like to join Antur Insurance in congratulating Nick Scourfield on his deserved award.