Tom takes the wrong turning . . .

Tom Bevan is a vociferous young wicket-keeper with Narberth Cricket Club as well as a useful goalkeeper with Clarbeston Road AFC but it seems that his sporting skills are not matched by his sense of direction.
Tom must be the only cricketer who can boast that he set off from home in Clarbie for a game in Llandewi Velfrey and after more miles than he expected discovered he was in Llanddowror, way off-track and totally bemused about which wrong turning he had obviously taken. But he refused to let it affect his performance on the day because he top scored with 52 runs before he actually returned to celebrate at Narberth – and found his way back home at Clarbeston Road afterwards!

Gelly gets confused with a car number

Spare a thought next for veteran Camrose & Spittal CC 2nd 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 2nd 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!

Well done Blaen Bill!

Congratulations next to Andrew Morris, the veteran flanker who plays so well for Crymych RFC after a number of years at Narberth RFC, who can now boast that he has played in every section of the Division One to Five (West) rugby set-up. Known to all as ‘Blaen Bill’ because of the family farm, Andrew played for Narberth in their early days in the old Heineken League, as it was then known, and was a speedy back row man who could be counted upon to be first to the break-down and quick to set up possession for the rest of the Otter pack.
But then small back row men fell out of fashion in favour of bigger, bulkier players and Andrew joined Crymych, where he has spent the intervening years confirming his ability. Even now, when he is one of the oldest players in the squad at Parc Lloyd Thomas, he has been chosen this season as man of the match a number of times – so well done Blaen Bill – and keep up the good work!

Unusual six for big Wayne

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 ione 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 Saturay 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 send the ball soaring out of the Lewis Lloyd ground to achieve such a score!

. . . And Tom forgets his kit!

Going back to Tom Bevan for a moment – it seems that the above little story wasn’t the only one about his travelling faux pas because last 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 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!

Derek’s Teaser

And finally, a little teaser from Derek Collins, one of the groundsmen at Haverfordwest Cricket Club, who delights in sporting trivia.
“Which Welsh rugby player of the modern era has captained his side more than anyone else?”

HAVE A GOOD SPORTING MONTH!