Star of the Month – April 2019

** Our April award has been long delayed for one simple reason – the recipient has been so involved in cricket and been out of the country a number of times!

Nick Evans is the current president of the Thomas Carroll-sponsored Pembroke County Cricket Club and at 78 years young amazingly still plays cricket in the lower reaches of the county's league cricket and at the end of the 2018 season took himself off to Barbados to play for the East Anglia over 50s for the second year in succession.

He had originally planned to just serve as team manager but ended up playing all four matches and we are reliably informed that had all the catches that might have fallen to his canny off-spin bowling been taken then he could well have won the tour bowling award!

It helped add to Nick's total of over 20 countries that he has travelled to play in with county veterans' squads from all over England and Wales, ranging from regular cricket-playing places like Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Sri Lanka and the West Indies, alongside the likes of the USA, Canada, Hong Kong, Argentina and Chile, where they memorably played at the foothills of the snow-capped Andes.

Amazing longevity in Pembrokeshire

But Nick is also still hugely involved with cricket at all levels in Pembrokeshire and in his 60-plus years of playing cricket Nick turned out for Narberth, Cresselly and Kilgetty and helped all three clubs win the Harrison-Allen Bowl competition for a combined total of six times, as well being losing finalists on even more occasions.

Throw in the fact that Nick also featured heavily in other competitions like the DR Morris Cup and played over 100 times for Pembrokeshire in a stint that lasted over 30 years and it is easy to see why Nick is held in high regard across the county - and why he was honoured with five years as president of our county club..

He has just completed his second season at the helm and works closely with Paul Webb (chairman) and Steve Blowes (hon secretary); like the others looking resplendent in his county blazer and tie as he attends all finals and visits a number of clubs each season.

Early start – at 13 . . .

Nick set out at 13 years of age with Narberth in a team packed with characters and quality players, being quite happy to field out for most games with having any batting or bowling, before gaining a regular first-team spot.

He also played for an equally strong Cresselly team from 1978 to 1992 and then Kilgetty from 1993 to 1996, winning the Harrison-Allen Bowl with both before returning to Narberth in 1997 and helping them to win the division one silverware that very year.

. . . and still going strong today!

And, amazingly, Nick played fairly regularly for Narberth 2nds in the 2018 campaign and took more than his share of wickets in the process – and only last week he played again when they were short and grabbed four wickets!!

Long service as an administrator – for men’s and women’s cricket!

But it is good to report that Nick is just as busy off the field because he has been a terrific administrator and spent over 30 years as a member of the county's executive committee - and stepped in as assistant secretary when no-one else was eager to take on the role.

As well as that involvement, Nick has been a qualified coach for more years than he cares to remember, as well as being president of the Pembrokeshire Association of Cricket Coaches, Wales over 60s and of Women's Cricket in Pembrokeshire after being instrumental in the establishment of the game for them - and joining former Glamorganshire cricketer Mark Frost in helping set up the blueprint for Wales Girls' Cricket.

And finally . . .

Small wonder then that Nick's achievements have been recognised much further afield and he received a National Coaches Award from the ECB, presented by former England captain Nasser Hussein at the tea interval of a one-day test match between England and Pakistan at Edgbaston.

Then it was on to the National Awards at Wembley where he met Princess Ann and was thrilled to end up in the last three of a terrifically long list of nominations from all over the UK.

His national recognition was no more than Nick Evans deserved and we are delighted to add PembrokeshireSport.co.uk’s own 'Star of the Month' award' on behalf of sports lovers, especially those devoted to cricket, in our county!