Micky's Pembrokeshire
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Cricket Captains 2011
Cresselly - Phil Williams
Cresselly set out in defence of the Division One title they claimed the last two seasons with a new captain in Phil Williams at the helm after previous skipper Simon Cole decided it was time to take a break.
Known to all as ‘Taffy’ Phil started out in local cricket at Hundleton and quickly made the transition from the lower divisions to become one of the county’s top scorers as a stylish right handed batsman who is also a very good fielder.
Taffy was vice-captain last season, when Cresselly lost only two matches, and will use his astute teacher’s brain to good effect as he hopes to lead Cresselly to a hat-trick of championship titles come late August!
Carew – Robbie Hicks
Carew also start the new campaign with the experienced Robbie Hicks taking over from Phil Jones, looking to build on the second spot they have achieved for the last two seasons, and on the fact that Carew lost only once last year but drew eight of their 17 games..
Robbie is a very accomplished batsman who was a Welsh international cricketer in his younger days and last season played well in helping his side win the Harrison-Bowl after taking a long spell out of the game.
One of his main qualities is his ability to lead by example because there is no better battler in Pembrokeshire and he will look to have his side playing at top revs throughout the campaign – and they will surely be in at the shake-up come the closing stages!
Neyland – Andrew Miller
Neyland surprised a few folk in the local cricketing fraternity as they deservedly came third in 2010 but skipper Andrew Miller wasn’t surprised because he has helped build a talented team at the Athletic Ground, which won eight games and lost only four times from their 18 fixtures.
Known to his team-mates as ‘Windy’, the 2011 campaign will amazingly be his 11th consecutive year at the helm and he can lay serious claims to being one of the top all-rounders in the county because he has scored heaps of runs and taken more than his fair share of wickets, as well as being a very useful fielder.
Andrew is another astute tactician and has established a discipline at the club which makes the team battle in adversity – and they really do have the ‘bottle’, that they may have lacked a few seasons ago, under his strong leadership!
Narberth – Ritchie Adams
Ritchie Adams retains the captaincy for the fourth year at Narberth and will be eager to build on their excellent fourth place in the 2010 table, where they won seven and drew five of their 16 matches, and played two games fewer than the team above them.
Ritchie is a very strong early order batsman and certainly leads by example in the field because he is fit after playing football so long as an equally good striker.
He will be looking to keep a team full of character and skill playing at their best because then they are capable of beating any other side in the section.
Haverfordwest – Huw Scriven
Haverfordwest have Huw Scriven as skipper for the third successive season and he will be looking to see that his team finish much higher than the fifth spot they finally settled at last campaign, which was their lowest position for some time.
Scriv is rightly regarded as the best wicket-keeper in the county and a regular in the Pembroke County side, who is also a more than useful batsman when he gets the chance to show his skills.
He is also a highly competitive cricketer and will be determined to lead by example – and if the rest of the team follow his example then The Town will feature strongly in this year’s league placings!
Saundersfoot – James Caine
James Caine did a great job of leading Saundersfoot in the 2010 season and he retains the captaincy for 2011 knowing that he is likely to have an even stronger squad!
After gaining promotion at the end of the previous campaign Saundersfoot were the local pundits’ tip as relegation favourites, along with Herbrandston but the Seasiders finished in a very creditable seventh spot as several players came of age in the top echelon and James certainly led by example. Their success was all the more creditable since they played fewer games than most clubs.
He is a very useful fast bowler and a destructive middle order batsman who can hit the ball many a mile – and can certainly boost the run rate with his array of shots. There is no doubt that if he goes well this season then Saundersfoot will build on last season’s six wins and three draws from 16 starts.
St Ishmaels – Andrew Palmer
Andrew Palmer will skipper St Ishmaels for the first time and will undoubtedly be hoping to improve on last season’s seventh place in the table, where Tish won seven out of 17 completed matches, but also lost seven times as well.
There is no doubt that ‘Palms’ is a big-hearted player and he will certainly lead from the front as a big-hitting early-order batsman and useful medium-pace bowler.
He takes over from Jonathan Pawlett, who was troubled by injury, and will be eager to see Tish get into an early winning mode and good performances where they give nothing away to the opposition!
Whitland – Matthew Davies
There is a new skipper at Whitland since Matthew Davies takes on the responsibility from Mark Lee, who has done a good job for three seasons but has decided to step down. Known to all as ‘Titch’ there is nothing small about the contribution Matthew can make to a game because he has a natural exuberance which should hold him in good stead when the going gets tough.
He has experience aplenty to call upon for advice but there is no doubt that he has a sense of purpose with his ability to score runs quickly in the middle order, bowl medium pace and field really well. He will also be his own man if tough decisions are made.
Whitland must have been disappointed with eighth place in 2010, with only six victories from 17 completed games, and ‘Titch’ will be aiming for at least a mid-table spot as a first target in his captaincy!
Herbrandston - Jonathan Bennett
Herbrandston have chosen a talented young all-rounder in Jonathan Bennett, who at 22 must be the youngest skipper in the top echelon. Known to all at Herbie as ‘Jonty’ he is a very useful batsman, steady bowler and outstanding fielder who is sure to lead by example.
Jonty is very much a Herbrandston lad since his dad Steve has also skippered the team, as have his uncles Ken and Andrew, plus cousin Kristan.
It could be a tough season for Herbie but there is one thing for sure – and that is the fact that no-one will be trying harder than Jonty Bennett!
Lawrenny – Robert Williams
Robert Williams returns to the captaincy at Lawrenny after a successful previous stint of five years – and charged with the task of taking his side out of the doldrums, where they only escaped relegation, with one win from 17 games completed, because the top teams in Division Two couldn’t be promoted!
Rob takes over from James Buckle, who will remain alongside Steve Lewis and Ian Jenkins as key players. Known to his pals as ‘Young Worm’, Rob is one of the most popular cricketers in the county and his fast bowling will be a key component of the team’s performance – and he is a more than capable batsman when he has the chance.
His first job will be to get a good start to regain the team’s collective confidence, and from then on, if he is successful, it is fair to say that Lawrenny won’t be in the relegation stakes again!
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