Jenkins’ family quartet play cricket together

 

This column is always eager to promote the lighter side of sport or nice little family stories to show what good things go on in Pembrokeshire.
 
We have previously featured fathers and sons and dads and daughters but on this occasion we can highlight a rare occurrence where two brothers, and younger sister all bowled for Cresselly Cricket Club 3^rd XI, with dad also playing alongside them and scoring a few runs at Pill Parks against Llangwm 2nds.

Stefan was the main strike bowler with the first team but had a shoulder injury and so could only bat whilst brother Sion was another first-teamer – and Megan had bowled really well to become the opening bowler for the club’s third string.

Also playing was dad Clive, who really enjoyed his games and was understandably delighted by this little piece of history-making at the club.

It would be interesting to know if this has ever happened before – but I suspect not in terms of a father, two sons and a daughter all involved. Well done all four, especially to Megan for showing that anything her big brothers can do she can do every bit as well!
 

Gelly gets confused with a car number

 

One of the most respected sports teachers in the county, until he retired, was undoubtedly Gelly James – but it seems that ‘Sir’s’ memory didn’t quite match up to his teaching expertise, according to this nice little story to make us chuckle!
 
Spare a thought next for veteran Camrose & Spittal CC 2^nd XI captain Gelly James, who doubles up as a games teacher at STP School, and apparently is not the best at remembering numbers, judging by the following little saga.

Gelly was walking to watch the 2^nd Division Football Cup Final at the Bridge Meadow Stadium, between Milford United and Prendergast Villa, where a number of his former pupils play, and a lorry driver blocked in by a supporter’s car on the approach road asked him if he would be kind enough to ask at the match for the offending car to be removed.

Being the genuine fellow that he is, Gelly took the offending car’s number to the announcer at the match, who promptly called out the number and asked for its urgent removal.

The driver came forward immediately and everyone almost doubled up with laughter when it was realised that it was none other than Gelly’s son, Richard!

Gelly took some ribbing from those who were around him about his inability to spot his own son’s car number and he took it with the good humour that is very much part of his make-up. And Me? I just put it down to the company he keeps amongst the old fogeys who play with him for Camrose & Spittal 2nds!





 

Unusual six for big Wayne

 

In almost 40 years of playing cricket at least once a season at Narberth I was never able to claim a four for hitting the famous tree in the outfield, despite claims from so-called pals that with my limited stroke play it should have been in my target area. So this saga shows how others have really found it a good way of scoring extra runs!
 
Wayne Howells marked his lengthy absence from Narberth CC’s first XI with a very good half century on his return against Haverfordwest CC, which included one of the most unusual sixes scored around the county for a long time.

Narberth’s ground is the only one in West Wales which has a large tree growing between the square and the boundary and local rules determine that any ball hitting the tree or base means a batsman is awarded four runs and the ball is then considered dead.

Thus it was on Saturday when Wayne pushed the ball for a sharp single and made his ground, adding a second from an overthrow and making it a six hit as the ball rolled to hit the base of the tree – hence the six runs.

He was understandably delighted with his gritty half century, especially since he strode to the crease with Narberth in dire straits at 12 for 3, and it will be some time before he forgets his six–hit because he is more used to sending the ball soaring out of the Lewis Lloyd ground to achieve such a score!







 

. . . And Tom forgets his kit!

 

Tom Bevan has been a terrific football referee who has flown the Pembrokeshire Flag with distinction ‘up the line’ but it is not quite so well-known that he has played cricket for Narberth and enjoyed his wicket-keeping. But it seems his sharpness behind the stumps wasn’t always matched by his organisational skills . . .
 
Going back to Tom Bevan for a moment – it’s a case  that he relied a fair bit on his parents, Yvette and Huw, to keep him organised sports-wise but he still is prone to forgetfulness, highlighted by the fact that earlier this season he turned up bright and early at the Lewis Lloyd ground in Narberth for the usual pre-match warm-up – and discovered that he had travelled from Clarbeston Road without his kit.

It meant a quick turn-around in his old banger and a trip home before he arrived back just in time to don his pads and wicket-keeping gloves in readiness to play. His team-mates are now used to his inability to get himself organised and the older ones are already suggesting it is high time he settled down and got married like them so that his better half can get him in order for Saturday afternoons!

Editor’s note: We are glad to report that since then Tom has married Pippa and they have a lovely 20-month old daughter – and good luck to Mrs Bevan in trying to keep her old man organised!
 

 

John catches the London train, by accident

 

I love this story because I finally got the full story from the great man himself – and it had me chuckling for ages because he is such a natural raconteur; but an awful narrator of his multitude of jokes!

It seems that the gang at the Bridge Meadow Stadium is a little accident-prone at the moment because John Roberts, who has been the first-team first-aid man for a number of years after yeoman service as a player, had a train journey he didn’t bargain for recently.

John was helping his daughter and grandson by taking them to catch the train at Haverfordwest and took the little lad into the carriage so he could strap him in. But as John tried to leave he found himself unable to get off the train because of others trying to get on that he couldn’t pass in the aisles.

One lady actually refused to shift because she wanted to make sure of a seat and before John could make his escape the train was in motion and he had no option but to stay on it! Now Clarbeston Road is the first station but it is a request stop and luckily for our unhappy feller there was someone there waiting to board the train so he was able to get off and contact an amused neighbour, who drove out to Clarbie to pick John up so he could return to the train station in Haverfordwest to collect his own car.

When John told his saga to the lads at Haverfordwest County he expected a little sympathy but, needless to say, they only burst into fits of laughter – and his best pal there has even threatened to send his name and address to British Rail so that they can charge big John for his unscheduled railway trip!
 
HAVE A GOOD NON-SPORTING WEEK!