page revision date : 30th June 2010
James is following in the family footsteps at Lamphey
If ever there was a case of a son following in dad’s footsteps then that is certainly true in the Skeels’ family because James Skeels is already a regular in the Lamphey Cricket Club first team alongside dad Andrew, and catching the eye as a 16 year old all-rounder who can take wickets with his fast bowling and also score runs as a bonus.
Andrew has been involved in cricket after watching his dad ply his spin bowling for Lamphey, and then playing for Lamphey Cubs against Hundleton. From there he was asked to play for Hundleton junior team by Morgan Allen and after another short stint at Carew, when Lamphey didn’t have a junior team in his age group, he has been playing for his home village and developing his cricketing skills.
Other sport
He has also followed his father in playing rugby for Pembroke, where he plays scrum half for the youth team coached by Ross Taylor and Martin Alderman. He also played the oval ball game at Pembroke School, where he was coached by ex-Tenby players Gareth Thomas and Neil Truman, and which included the likes of Alex Wilkes and Giuseppe Tremarco.
James has also fished alongside dad and actually beat him in a competition where he caught a few flounders but it is cricket that has always been his favourite sport, with former Australian wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist as his favourite international player.
A junior at Carew
When he was playing for Carew juniors at under 13 and under 15 levels he was well looked after by Wesley Cole, Gethin Evans, Mike Scourfield and Caryl Brace – and Caryl was also one of his coaches, with Nigel Arthur, in the county team before he moved into the age group coached by Mike Davies. His top score at county level was 43 and he also took his share of wickets as an added bonus.
He had his first match for Lamphey Seconds when he was only 12, playing in the same team as dad Andrew, Haydn Cole and John McPherson, with a top score of 30 to show that he had what it takes.
First team player
He now plays regularly for the first team alongside good players like Rob Mathias, Hywel Gibbs and Grant Cole, developing well as an opening bowler and showing that he can also bat with 49 not out in a recent league match against Pembroke Dock. He’s also had a couple of other scores in the 40’s and is looking forward to that first league half century.
He already has a five-wicket haul in bowling and is building up his pace and accuracy as he goes along. Ask him for the major influences on his cricketing career and he would immediately nominate his dad, and says that girl-friend Jordan Hart, the top badminton player, also enjoys going to matches to cheer him on. Ask about playing badminton, however, and he admits that he has no chance there!
And finally . . .
So what of the future for James? He is very much a Lamphey player and says that he is happy to play there and try to help take them back through the divisions. He is a modest, unassuming young man and if the ability to work hard at his game is anything to go by then we will certainly hear a great deal more about James Skeels in Lamphey Cricket Club in the future!
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