In his time as a cricket professional with Haverfordwest it is fair to say that Henderson Winfield Da Costa Springer made a huge number of friends on and off the field because he was a gentleman on it and a convivial friend off it!
 
Known to all as 'Hendy' he was one of the very first pro cricketers to arrive in Pembrokeshire and coached many young players as a very good batsman, off-spin bowler and terrific fielder, helping The Town to win silverware and also representing Pembrokeshire whenever needed.
 
He still maintains contact with friends from the county and when we contacted this smashing feller, who is a great advert for cricket at any level, it was great to know that Mr Springer is doing really well, thank you very much, in Barbadian and West Indies cricket.
 

Hendy joins The Town

 
Hendy represented Haverfordwest CC from 1992-1995 and he told us,
"They were very enjoyable days. I was lucky enough to have performed decently and I made friends at many clubs, including all the local night clubs.
 
"When I left Haverfordwest I continued to play/coach for a few more years at the pro level in South Africa until 1997 when I returned to Barbados and played in our first Red Stripe Cup win – along with Vasbert Drakes, who played so well at Lamphey before moving on to play in County Cricket as well as later representing the West Indies around the world.
 

Coaching advice from some of ‘The Greats’

 
"In 1998 I Joined the Barbados Defence Force Sports Programme as Chief Cricket Coach, a post which I held for over 10 years. (This programme produced Tino Best for the West Indies team and a number of other players for respective Barbados squads so I was delighted with that.
 
"I became national coach of Barbados in December 2000, a post which I still  hold up to today and I have been privileged enough to have had a hand in the development of all the players from Barbados who have represented the West Indies in the last 14 years.
 
"During my own playing career," said Hendy, "I was lucky enough to receive coaching from Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Vivian Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Jan Weideman, Cassie Van der Mervwe,  Gordon Parsons, Seymour Nurse, Clive Lloyd and Harold Griffith so I was able to use the wealth of good advice they provided for me in my own coaching career."
 

Still Director of Coaching

 
"In June 2008 I joined the Barbados Cricket Association as their Director of Coaching, which is my present pos,, where I am responsible for overseeing the Everton Weekes Centre of Excellence.
 
"This superb facility is hosted at Kensington Oval and caters for our best 25 under 13,15,17,19 and female players, as well as supervising and training 20 club coaches, which keeps me very busy but having a wonderful time..
 
Henderson has also worked as the West Indies A-team coach from 2006-2012 and in 2006 against England we had players of the calibre of Lendil Simmonds, Tino Best, Marlon Samuels, Carl Baugh, Ravi Rampaul, Fidel Edwards, Dinish Ramden, Darren Sammy, Duane Bravo, Shiv Chanderpaul, and Chris Gayle, who have all made it through to the senior team.
 
"But perhaps best of all," admitted Hendy, "was the fact that the great CLIVE LLOYD was also there as team manager!
 
"I will never forget that first time I went to coach at Lords in front of a big crowd, where there was a great atmosphere."
 

West Indies involvement at the highest level

 
Hendy was also with the senior team from 2007-2010, as well as serving on a number of committees of the Barbados Cricket Association; plus he is a presenter at the University of The West Indies in their Co-curricular credit programme. since 2005, using the experience he has gained world-wide and knowledge acquired through attendance at many courses.
 
He went with the West Indies as coach to Zimbabwe in 2007 and his cricketing travels have so far taken him to India, England and Ireland, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Holland,  Dubai, Bangladesh and Australia, where he has met all the major cricketing characters and made a huge number of friends.
 

Back to school

 
It all seems a long time since he captained Combermere School’s cricket and soccer teams and won the school's cricket prize in 1981-1982. He was then a member of the Combined Schools Cricket X from 1979-1982 and represented Barbados in Cricket at Youth and Schoolboy levels.
 
Hendy has participated in the annual Fred Rumsey Pro-am Cricket Tournament held in Barbados since 1983 and played in teams alongside players such as David Gower (Leicestershire, Hampshire and England).
 
He scored most runs in the 1983 competition, including a century for a David Gower XI and obtained the Barbados Cricket Association Junior Coaching Certificate in 1983 after he had previously gained the World Series Cricket Certificate for participating in the World Series Coaching Clinics in 1979 he was also awarded the West Indies Cricket Board of Control’s Senior Coaching Certificate in 1988
 
He was highlighted in the Nations Newspaper (Barbados) as one of the six players to watch for the 1987 BCA Domestic cricket season where he coached Combermere School’s Cricket Team in 1987 when they won the Sir Garfield Sobers International School Cricket Tournament in Barbados
 

Travelling man

 
Hendy represented MOP (Holland) as player/ coach during the 1988 season as well as playing for Barbados in first class Cricket from 1987-1988 and then again in 1993-1994.
 
He received the Benson and Hedges Trophy from the Barbados Cricket Association for the Most Improved Player in 1987 and played against an England XI (including test players) in a One Day International series in Barbados as part of the Fred Rumsey Pro-am Cricket Festival.
 
The festival included matches in Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Grenada, Antigua, Nevis, Freeport (Grand Bahamas), against North America, England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Holland, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Guyana, Germany and Grand Cayman.
 
"In my coaching career I have played a very very small part in seeing people like Tino Best, Suleiman Benn, Kraig Braithwaite, Kemar Roach, Fidel and Kirk Edwards to mention a few, into various West Indies squads.

Fond memories of Pembrokeshire

 
“I have travelled with West Indies teams over the years and have met all the major players but included in my range of cricketing experiences I had great times in Pembrokeshire, and made lifelong friends with whom I still keep contact, like Mark White, who still owes me a lot of drinks, Stuart Williams, who has never bought a drink, and the Field brothers to name but a few.
 
“I also coached youngsters like Phil Kirkby, Danny Potter, Ben Field, Chris Fitzpatrick, Simon Williams and Ross Dewstowe in the Ormond Cup.
 

All tied up

 
"During my time in cricket," Hendy told us, "I have always collected ties from cricket clubs and I still collect them as a hobby and as a reminder of the places in have been, people I have met and things I have done.
"I have over 3,000 in my collection and in there are many from Pembrokeshire and Wales so that in itself should tell you a story.
 
"I will never forget my time in Pembrokeshire and would one day love to bring a Barbados team there, as well as coaching the West Indies back to world prominence.
 
"But that's in the future and in the meanwhile it is great to say hello again to cricketers across Pembrokeshire and wish them all the very best for this 2014 season.”