Unsung Heroes

‘Dessie’ and ‘Mogs’ serve

Fishguard Cricket in style

Fishguard and Goodwick Cricket Club has recently seen the development of a promising group of young players that should serve the club well for years to come – and if you talk to anyone from that group then it is a fair bet that all of them would nominate Dave Haynes and Nigel Morgan as major influences on their development.
Although they would cringe a little at the description, this intrepid pair would have to answer to the word ‘veteran’ in the eyes of their young team-mates but there is no doubting the mutual respect that has formed between the two groups, with skipper Ben Watson and Rod Kemp sandwiched neatly in between in terms of age.
“We could be regarded as ‘Compo and Clegg’,” chuckled 41 year old Dave of himself and his 46 year old colleague, who works at County Hall, in Haverfordwest, but declined to say which was which!
Most importantly of all, however, is the fact that Messrs Morgan and Haynes have succeeded in passing on their good manners and sportsmanship to the youngsters, along with their determination and will to win!

Both perform really well

Of the two, Nigel has been at the club for longer, having switched his allegiance there shortly before the demise of Dinas Cricket Club, where he played well as an all-rounder from 1983 to 2002.  ‘Mogs’ might well have changed clubs this season because his son Matthew moved to Cresselly to develop his undoubted talents – but it was to FIshguard’s immense benefit that he decided to stay at the club. Dave set out at the same time but a little further away at Morriston Cricket Club, before he came to teach at Milford Haven Comprehensive in 1991and Daniel Bower, one of his students,  made sure he played for Neyland as an opening batsman. When he moved to Ysgol Bro Gwaun in Fishguard he used to travel back and fore but when the travelling got too much he joined Fishguard and has been a key-run-maker since then. He is known to all as ‘Des’ because when Phil Sutton took him into the Neyland changing room for the first time he introduced him as ‘Dessie’, who was the West Indian opening bat of that time, and the nick-name stuck.

Top performances

When Nigel set out at Dinas the team was playing in the old Teifi Valley league which played 20 over cricket only. It wasn’t the best standard but Nigel showed his potential with 626 runs in his first campaign – and when they joined Pembrokeshire Cricket he scored 142 against Pembroke Dock and 100 at Stackpole. He has also scored a few undefeated 90s and enjoyed his ‘ton’ last season against Haverfordwest – with a best haul from his left-arm bowling of 5 for 20.
Dave’s best season was in 2006, when he amassed 621 runs and this could be another good year because he scored 126 against Hundleton and then 90 the next week against Johnston. He was adjudged lbw in that match and laughingly says that he knew he was out and could have ‘walked’ before the umpire raised his finger! He’s also had 113 not out and previously had a top score of 136 against Llechryd, with a top score at Neyland of 78 not out in a match with Johnston.

Youngsters’ comments

It is interesting to note the comments from the young players at Fishguard.
            “I wish I had Dave’s patience and Mogs’ determination to win,” said Sam Kurtz, whilst Vaughan Davies told us,
            “They are both great role models and make sure that we always play the game hard but show respect for the opposition.”
Team skipper Watson, in his first year at the helm, admits,
            “Both have helped me a lot and I have great respect for them both. It would be so much harder without them.”