page revision date : Saturday, 15 November, 2008
Nigel retires after yeoman service
Nigel Arthur has just retired from cricket at Hundleton and it was highly appropriate that his final match was against Cresselly Seconds, a club he served superbly for 29 years before he joined his current club 11 seasons ago.
In such a long career he could lay claim to have taken well over a thousand wickets in Pembrokeshire Cricket but it is typical of the man that he couldn’t say exactly how many, or even go close to an estimate, because he has just enjoyed taking part and enjoying the company of other cricketers.
Sporting gent
Over the years he built up a reputation as a gentleman of sport and as well as his own playing days, Nigel has also been heavily involved in coaching and is currently the chairman of the Pembrokeshire Association of Cricket Coaches, something that he regards as an honour but which fellow coaches would say was a richly deserved accolade.
He took up coaching when son Scott, now following dad at Cresselly, was learning his trade as a very good young opening bat – and took that particular group of lads from under 10 level to the Welsh Final at under 15 level, sadly losing to North Wales at Sophia Gardens (now the Swalec Ground) but very proud of his young charges. He has just completed another round of players to under 15 level and again he would say that they are a cracking bunch of young players who will do well in the game. Nigel followed fellow Cresselly man Phil Thomas as chairman of PACC after three seasons as his vice-chairman, and is now a Level two coach, which enables him to coach up to under 18 county standard.
Cresselly capers
It all seems a long time away from his own time as a nipper living in the village of Cresselly where dad Charlie played for the village club and Nigel joined twin brother David, who was known to all as ‘Doffo’ and sadly passed away, plus older brother John in spending all their summer hours up at the cricket ground. The lads all did well with Nigel following dad in taking all ten wickets as he performed the feat against a touring side whilst Charlie had his ten wickets against Pembroke in a Harrison-Allen match where they lost! Doffo was an excellent sporting all-rounder and John has had centuries for Cresselly whilst Scott has yet to complete that feat after scoring 98 not out and 92 not out for the county youth!
Nigel played for Pembrokeshire Youth alongside the likes of Martin Cole and his claim to fame at this time was bowling Alan Lewis Jones, who went on to be a Glamorgan regular with his first ball when he was on 99 and still seeking his first-ever century.
Silverware galore
Whilst playing for Cresselly, Nigel took part in five Harrison-Allen Bowl finals, including the one where they beat neighbours Carew by an innings and he claimed the special wicket of Barry Wood in both innings. Not content with that, Nigel also played in nine or ten of Cresselly’s winning Alec Colley Cup Final appearances, and played an important role with his bowling accuracy that pinned batsmen down.
Hundleton move
Nigel moved to Hundleton because he was living in Pembroke with wife Shirley, who has always been his greatest supporter, and travelling to matches wasn’t always easy. He envisaged a couple of years in the village second team at most but has enjoyed himself so much that he has stayed in the first XI for over a decade and likes to bowl his full 12-over spell straight out because the old shoulder stiffens up – and reckons that now is the time to go gracefully since his eyes are not as good as they used to be.
Be that as it may, he has taken two seven-wicket hauls during his time at Hundleton and the second one was in the recent run-in to the end of the season when he grabbed 7 for 25 against Pembroke Dock – and claimed 16 wickets in the final three games he played in.
“Not bad for an old-timer!” says Nigel with a chuckle.
Whilst readily admitting that he hasn’t been regarded as a batsman he has claimed two half centuries in league cricket and always enjoyed going out with the pads on.
