Pembrokeshire Sport in general and cricket in particular lost one of its most well-known characters with the sad passing away of Peter Hall at the age of 69.
 
Along with such rare talents as Barry Wood and the late Jack Capon he was regarded as one of the very top players of his time but could easily stake a claim to having scored many more runs than any other cricketer in our county because he played the game for well over half a century and scored heaps of runs wherever he went.
 
Known to all ‘Horlicks’ he was born and bred in Carew to doting parents Jenkin and Veni Hall and was such a naturally talented young player of the summer sport that he was a part of the Carew team in his early teens that later dominated cricket in Pembrokeshire, was opening bat with Dave Lovell that saw Lamphey move to the top of the tree and joined Ian Poole in recently taking Kilgetty back through the divisions.

Sandwiched in between he also played ‘up the hill’ for Cresselly for a season, joined his old pal Tommy Roberts at St Florence and enjoyed himself at Hook.
 
I first met Peter in 1963 when I played for Pembroke Grammar School against the Coronation School on the small pitch in the park in Pembroke Dock and he ruined what might have been a close game with his batting prowess.
 
He was no mean bowler either and loved being in the limelight for that particular skill, especially on damp wickets where he could skid the ball about.
 
When I returned to the county after an absence of five years he was rightly installed as the No 1 run-maker in the county, an automatic choice with the Pembrokeshire team and someone who played for Wales in Minor Counties and also for Glamorgan Seconds.
 
Tony Scourfield, the Pembroke County Club chairman and a hugely respected figure who played for Lawrenny but has done so much work at Carew CC, told us,

“Peter was a natural talent and the bigger the occasion the more he loved being involved. He played alongside terrific players like Brian Morgan, the late Tony Scourfield, Gethin Evans, Martin Cole and David Sefton amongst many others and I’m sure if he had been in today’s era he would have gone a lot further. Peter was a real character to know, on and off the field.”
 
Someone else who opened the batting for a decade with ‘Horlicks’ was Tony’s son Nick, now the Hon Sec at Carew CC and he recalled,

“I made my club debut as opening partner to Peter in 1989 at Neyland and I learned so much about batting and the game in general with him as we won the league three years on the trot and he was man of the match against Tish in the Harrison-Allen Bowl Final.
 
“He was hugely competitive and totally committed to our cause, although he had this priceless talent of getting on so well with the opposition, especially after games when we chatted over a pint. I also enjoyed playing football alongside him but he was my cricketing hero from when I was a youngster and I will miss his larger than life character."
 
Peter also helped Lamphey win their league titles and the Harrison-Allen Bowl around the turn of the century and John Green, a keen player then, told Pembrokeshire Sport:

“We were delighted when Peter, and his talented son Brian, joined us because he was so experienced, played well alongside our international players and was great in the changing room if the going got tough.

“Everyone respected him and it was lovely that his mother came to every game and sat in the car to watch us play – and he will be sorely missed as a former giant of cricket in our county.”
 
Perhaps it is fitting that the final word should go to Nick Scourfield.

“We were delighted that Peter was well enough to watch our home semi-final match in the National Village Cup and it was brilliant that he came out on the eve of our final game of the season, when our president John Donnachie brought a team to play the club for charity.
 
“He opened the innings for the President’s XI with his special pal Martin Cole so that he could finish such a long and distinguished career back on home turf and managed to get out to the wicket to bat the first over of the match – and we were all thrilled that his final cricketing wish was granted because he was a great character and someone whose like we will never see in local cricket again.”
 
We extend our deepest sympathy to Peter’s family at this sad time and proof of his popularity is sure to be provided with the attendance at his funeral today (Wednesday) at 11am at Carew Cheriton Church.