Ceri Jones has played a lot of his rugby for St Clears as well as enjoying successful previous spells at Haverfordwest and Narberth, and is rightly proud of the fact that he represented Pembrokeshire as a pacy winger and scored his share of tries.
 
He was also a useful all-rounder in cricket who served Lawrenny and Narberth well – and it seems likely that Ceri will eventually return to the summer sport after a few years out of the game, now that his sons Cian and Marley are growing up enough to enjoy spending their time at matches
 

Family matters

 
Cian already plays cricket at Whitland as well as rugby in St Clears whilst Marley is already involved in the oval ball game and seems sure to take up cricket – and perhaps golf as well!
 
Ceri’s wife Natalie originally hails from Jamaica and was a useful athlete in her younger days there, and must surely enjoy a bit of watching cricket too!
 

Senior player now

 
At the moment, Ceri is enjoying his rugby at St Clears and his teaching in Carmarthen.
“I’m very much one of the senior players now,” admitted Ceri, “giving advice to our young players alongside our inspirational player/coach Andrew Deacon and watching the look on their faces which I remember having 15 years ago when I was their age.
 
“This is my eighth season back at the club where I started and until this campaign I have always scored more than my share of tries in the three-quarter line – and have pouched five tries in four matches so far.
 
“I keep telling myself I might have had more but it is because I am spending my time setting them up for others, although it could have something to do with the fact that I’m now in my mid thirties,” says Ceri with a typical chuckle!”
 

Early start at St Clears

 
He started out when he was just six and his father Phil helped set up the minis’ section and took Jones junior along.
“I loved it from the start but we were like headless chickens, all chasing after the ball, but getting really muddy as well.”
 
By the time he was 11 Ceri was being selected for the county schools’ team and then had a two-year stint with Narberth around the time he was 16, followed by a season with Laugharne Youth alongside pals like Endaf Howells, a tough as teak prop.
 
It meant a great deal of travel but Ceri readily admits that he had the total support of dad Phil and mother Ann in taking him and his younger brother Owain around to matches.
“Brilliant!” was his succinct word of praise for them!
 

Good time spent with Gary at The Blues

 
Ceri played senior rugby for St Clears until he was 20 and then decided to join Haverfordwest because he knew the Blues’ coach Gary Price, who persuaded him to try his luck at a higher level.
 
“Gary was an excellent coach,” Ceri told us, “and I enjoyed seven smashing years alongside characters like Andrew Thicker, Richard Brazell, Steve Williams, the Busch twins and Darren Salmon, who joined the club at the same time that I did.
 
“We always had great battles against Pembroke Dock Quins and Tenby, as well as getting on well with the likes of Llangwm, Milford, Neyland and Pembroke – and we had a great bunch of loyal supporters that included Gareth Griffiths, Alan Wills and Billy Jones.
 

County honours followed

 
During his time with Haverfordwest, Ceri managed to score 20 tries most seasons, including a couple of hat-tricks, which must have caught the county selectors’ eyes because he is rightly proud of the fact that he played seven times in the blue and white hooped shirts.
 
He scored a try brace in the semi-final of the Welsh Counties’ Cup win over Carmarthenshire, playing alongside quality players like Gareth Bennett, Aled Davies and Lee Glanville, but sadly the final never went ahead for some reason which escaped the players!
 
Ceri also played twice for the Welsh Academicals XV in celebration matches at Pembroke and Haverfordwest, qualifying by dint of the fact that he had trained as a teacher at Trinity College, Carmarthen.
 

Taking a step up

 
It was around the time of his county success that he was asked to join Narberth and after consultation with the Haverfordwest coaching staff decided to give it a go.
 
“I really enjoyed the step up in pace and was delighted to play in the centenary game against the Scarlets, where I was marking the powerful Silesi Finau and the opposition also included Scott Quinnell in the back row and Mike Phillips at scrum half.
 
“I also played against a strong Esher side in London and scored a try but in such a strong squad there were few places on the bench for three-quarters, and although I enjoyed my work with coaches Rob Phillips and Jonathan Dodd I wanted to be playing a full game every week.
 

No regrets

 
“So after a while I decided to return to St Clears because I only live 100 metres away from their ground, rather than the travel to Haverfordwest for training. But I will be ever glad I played for Haverfordwest, not least because when we travelled to North Wales to play Llangefni on one occasion I met my wife Natalie there!”
 
Outside of his rugby, Ceri enjoys golf at Derllys, Bancyfelin, playing off a handicap of six or seven, having played in the Weetabix-sponsored Regional Finals at Tenby as a nipper.
 

Ceri’s cricketing moments

 
He started his cricket at Ysgol Dyffryn Taf in Whitland and played for St Clears in the last season before the club folded for a while, and then joined Narberth where he played in the same team as Ian and Marc Hughes, Wayne Howells, which had huge potential but missed out on a Harrison-Allen Bowl Final by losing in the last four a number of times.
 
He played in a losing Duggie Morris Cup Final against Llangwm in 2003 before he moved to play at Lawrenny alongside terrific characters like Chris Williams, Ian Jenkins, Andrew Cole, Dai Jones, Hugh Griffiths, Owen Williams and the Buckle brothers.
 
It was during his time there that he claimed 7 for 30 against Whitland and earned him a prize as the best figures in Division One that week. He only just missed out on the best of the season in the top section but Andrew Salter, now with Glamorgan, took 7 for 21 in a match for Tish!
 
Ceri also had plenty of five and six-wicket hauls in his time and can claim all-rounder status with a top score of 74 not out against Pembroke,
“And too many 49s!” he says with a chuckle!
 

And finally . . .

 
So now he has the rugby at St Clears to look forward to and eventually his return to cricket in our county, where he is looking forward to renewing old acquaintances.
“Pembrokeshire is a great place to play cricket,” admitted Ceri, “so I’m raring to go again.”
 
And there’s one thing for sure – local sport in general will be a better place with him involved, because Ceri Jones is a fierce competitor but a gentleman of sport, nonetheless!