Tom’s taking wickets well at Hook
Tom Blaxland is one of the talented young cricketers beginning to break through at Hook Cricket Club and his potential was recently recognised when he was invited to attend a Welsh trial at under 17 level in Aberdare.
He joined other Pembrokeshire players Andrew Salter, Ashley Sutton and Ceri Brace in the trial and says he was pleased with the way that he batted and bowled. Tom is a level-headed young man and he readily admits that he was both surprised and delighted to be invited to attend, and gave it his best shot, as he does with all his sporting activities.
Other sports before cricket
He also plays football as a goalkeeper with Camrose under 16s, having joined them when he was about seven years old and playing in a successful team which is well managed by Frank Bryce. Tom and his Camrose colleagues have won the league three times in the past six seasons at their age group, won the cup once and reached the semi-final of the West Wales Cup before losing to old rivals Tenby.
Tom has also played tennis at Tasker Milward School but it is cricket that is now far and away his favourite sport, despite the fact that he was a relatively late starter who only took the game up when he was 12 years of age. He had been enthralled to watch England on TV as they bowled out the West Indians for 48, dragged mum Sue to a sports shop and came back with a cricket bat and ball which he used to practice in the garden with older brother Sam, dad Stuart and Sue, before joining the club in his home village of Hook.
Solid start at under 15 level
He hasn’t looked back since after starting out as a nipper in the under 15 team skippered by Brennan Martin, quickly establishing himself as a useful medium pace bowler who can swing the ball both ways, plus as a solid middle order batsman and highly committed fielder with the safe hands of a goalkeeper! Tom took over the captaincy for the next two seasons and says it was only because there was to-one in the intervening age group to do it. Ask him if he enjoyed the role and he would say it was fine when the team was at full strength and things were going well but a little frustrating when inexperienced players had to be drafted in at short notice and they didn’t know the fielding positions so he had to point them to a fielding spot!
County selection – and a Hook team full of characters
Tom was eventually selected for the county team by coach Mike Davies and has enjoyed the experience of playing against the best young players from all over Wales. He went on a tour to Coventry and reached his top score so far of 75 as well as grabbing a few wickets.
When he set out with the senior cricket at Hook he played for the seconds and claimed a 5 for 13 haul before he was chosen as player of the year, as he was when he forced his way into first team action and bowled really well to help Hook get back into Division One. Tom is full of praise for the advice he received from Nicky Absalom early on and from first team regulars like Andrew Thomas, Ross Martin, Ben Field, Jamie Phelps, Keith James and Brennan Lay. Brennan Lay is the other young regular in the side and Tom says that one of his ambitions is to follow wicket-keeper Martin ‘Stavvie’ Rees or Matthew ‘Coco’ Holder in terms of life-style since both are so laid back!
Good indoor league season – and a bad start to this campaign
Tom played during the winter in the indoor league for Hook and really enjoyed the new experience of playing in a tightly-enclosed place as he scored 25 runs in every match bar one, before having to retire, and scored 52 against high-flying Neyland on one occasion when others got out and he was allowed back into the hall for a second chance. He also bowled well as he conceded relatively few runs.
It gave him renewed anticipation for the start of this cricket season, especially since Hook were back in the top echelon, but the bubble burst a little as they played at Carew in their opening match, lost by 108 runs – and Tom took a real shellacking as he conceded over 50 runs without a wicket in six overs! The next few games were only a little better but Tom has stuck to the task and has recently claimed 3 for 22 against Tish as Hook started to pick up points from some good wins.
Family involvement
Tom’s family are involved at Hook because dad Stuart plays if he is needed, helped get the club its accreditation and helps Evan Martin and Trevor Green on the pitch. Tom’s mother Sue was a good netball player who taught PE in the USA before teaching in this country, and showed Tom how to bowl first.
“Luckily, though, Gary Martin then took over and put me right,” says Tom with a chuckle!
Older brother Sam (18) also likes to watch Tom play and regularly goes to the Hook Sports Association Ground, as do Sue and Stuart.
