Martin’s still making batsmen suffer

Martin Donnelly was well known as a terrific swing bowler who won lots of silverware at Haverfordwest Cricket Club in his younger days before his work as a policeman took him to the Ystradgynlais area in 1982, where he still lives and plays cricket as a fit 47 year old who is also involved in coaching the local youngsters in football.
We were delighted to catch up with Martin for a chat for our ‘Where are they now?’ feature and even more pleased that he is a regular reader of our web-site, where he keeps up to date with news and results around the county. Martin has very fond memories and was eager to pass his ‘hello’ message to colleagues and opponents around the county.

Ystradgynlais move –

and still going strong

He travelled home to play for Haverfordwest for several seasons where Rita and Ted Sexton, through his friendship with their son Mark, were like his adopted parents in the Summer and he spent most weekends at their house, which was like his second home.  Rita's cheerful, warm personality enabled her to make friends wherever she went and she is still sorely missed.  Their kindness to him is something he shall always remember.
Martin then joined Ystradgynlais in 1991 after one season with Dafen alongside the late Jeff Holmes, where there was still a lot of travelling so he decided to play regularly with Ystradgynlais since the pitch was only 400 yards up the road! He was captain of the first XI for seven seasons and can boast a best bowling performance of 8 for 34 against Clydach, taking the divisional award as leading wicket-taker for seven seasons. Martin is still leading by example for the second string that he captains again this year and he showed that he can also wield a bat, judging by his performances last campaign, where he featured in last-wicket stands of 95 and 78 to help his team win matches. One of those was achieved against the bowling of former Ospreys’ coach Lyn Jones, who was not pleased, to say the least!

Family matters

Martin also helps run three junior teams to help in Ystradgynlais’s development plans and the club has enjoyed support from former top players Hugh Morris (the club’s patron), and Steve Watkin. He keeps busy in the winter by coaching the local junior football team in which his son Jack (11) plays, and the family sporting connection is continued because Jack also plays cricket and Martin’s wife Julie is, in his words, ‘a top cricket tea maker’! Julie was born and bred in nearby Upper Cwmtwrch and the couple also have a daughter Lauren (13), who competes in eisteddfodau and loves amateur dramatics.

Neyland and Grammar School start

Although all good local cricketers will remember Martin as a very fine bowler with The Town it was at Neyland that he first started out in the game when his dad moved there with his work in the police and Kenny Edwards started a junior team. When he attended Haverfordwest Grammar School he played under the watchful eye of Hugh Nicklin in a very good school team which actually beat Burton first team in a Sunday friendly. They toured in London with players of the calibre of Keith James, John Rees, Andrew Williams, Colin Williams, Mark White, Mark Sexton, Jeremy Thomas, Tim Skudder and the late Steve James, who was his best pal. He played alongside the likes of David ‘Curly’ Richards in three Ormond Youth Cup Finals with Neyland where they lost the lot, the most disappointing being the third where they looked certain winners as Laugharne needed a massive 150 in the final innings but Steve Pearce smashed them all over the place to see Laugharne through.

First team breakthrough

The family eventually moved back to Haverfordwest and Martin broke into The Town’s first team at 17 under the expert captaincy of Stuart Williams, whom Martin would nominate, alongside Mickie Field, as real influences, with Richard ‘Stag’ Jones as a teacher who really helped him in sport. He had captained the Dyfed Schools’ Youth team, where Gary Martin was the stand-out player and he played in an Alec Colley Cup Final under Tacky Marchant - and a year later was a member of the first Harrison-Allen Bowl winners’ team in the club after beating Pembroke in a tight semi-final at Carew and then defeating Cresselly in the final on their own pitch. Cresselly needed just five runs from the last over of the match which Martin bowled and three wickets fell as Keith Griffiths was run out from the second ball, Gari Davies was bowled two balls later and Dave Arthur was run out from the final delivery going for a third run that would have earned a tie.

Low scores and a big innings

There were three winners’ medals and success in the league as the club did really well with a useful bowling attack that included Mickey Field, Colin Williams and Victor Tucker – and Martin still recalls the most amazing match of his career when Carew needed to beat Haverfordwest on The Racecourse to snatch the title from Cresselly. It seemed the title was Carew’s as they shot out The Town for a paltry 31 runs in damp conditions - but Mickie Field grabbed six wickets and Martin claimed the other four as Carew were dismissed for 29 runs!
Martin represented the county alongside characters like Gethin Evans (captain), Martin Cole, Martin Charles, Peter Hall and Brian Morgan at senior level and played in the Welsh Counties’ Cup Final at Sophia Gardens against a very strong North Wales team which included two very powerful Australian batsmen. Martin Charles bowled one of them in his first over but the other, named Steve Wunke, scored 148 runs as his team won!
He has also been involved with the Dyfed Powys Cricket team which in 2005, 2006 and 2007 won the UK Police Cricket tournament three years in succession and included other Pembrokeshire players such as Simon Cole (Cresselly), Andrew Williams (Tish), Dave Lee (Whitland), with Glyn Cole and Dave Morris doing umpiring duties.  It was without doubt the best batting line up Martin has seen at that level.

Other sports

Martin enjoyed taking part in other sports and he played rugby for Neyland Youth and second team at outside half, as well as captaining the school first team that included Jonathan Harries and Willie Morris, and with Geraint John and Gordon Thomas as top players in the secondary school side.
He also played football for Haverfordwest Cricket Club when they started a social team comprised of cricketers just to keep the club ticking over in the winter. Also involved were the likes of Steve James, Paul Thomas, Andrew and Steve Phillips, Phil Jones, Tim Painter and Chipo Jenkins. He readily admits that he started out as a striker but gradually moved back through the team and ended up at right back – and was glad it was time to stop playing because he would have made a hopeless keeper!

First sporting love

But cricket has always been his first sporting love and Martin readily admits that he enjoys playing as much as ever since there are young players developing all the time. He still looks to see how Haverfordwest are faring locally in league and cup cricket and has fond memories of being involved in Pembrokeshire Sport for so long.

He recently bumped into a number of his old team-mates and there was lots of nostalgia as they recalled players, matches and after-game moments which they share and remember.