Micky's Pembrokeshire
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‘Taffy’ takes the lead at Cresselly
Phil Williams is best known as a free-scoring opening bat and is the new captain of Cresselly Cricket Club - but he also plays at outside half or full back with Pembroke RFC so he is kept busy in Pembrokeshire Sport throughout the tear.
Known to all as ‘Taffy’ Phil was part of the Cresselly 1st XI which completed the double of Harrison-Allen Bowl and league title two years ago – and which retained the league title last season as well as winning the Duggie Morris Cup.
Family connection
But Phil originally hails from Hundleton, where his family have served the village cricket team for many years. His father John played as a batsman for the club and been involved in its administration since then, is one of the best-known and respected umpires who has officiated at Minor Counties and Glamorgan 2nds matches, as well as being a former chairman and current president of the Pembrokeshire Association of Cricket Umpires and Scorers.
His elder brothers, Mark and Jonathan, also play cricket for Hundleton, with Mark also playing over 500 football matches for Angle, whilst Jonathan was a good scrum-half or full-back with Pembroke RFC – and mum Hilary completes the sporting tradition with Hundleton Cricket Club because she has scored in the past and also did the teas.
Not content with that little lot, his wife Jo is involved with Sport Pembrokeshire after taking part in netball, athletics and keep fit, whilst her father, John Roberts, and brother Anthony, have been heavily involved in local football at Haverfordwest County – and Phil’s uncle and cousin, Colin and Gary Phillips have both been useful cricketers at Llangwm!
Early start at Hundleton
Phil played for Hundleton from the time he was 12, previously taking on the role of scorer since they had only one team then. By the time he was 14 he was playing on a regular basis and was part of the Hundleton/Stackpole side which reached the semi-final of the Ormond Cup but lost to a combined Cresselly/Lawrenny team. He admits he felt ‘gutted’ by the defeat and can also vividly recall an Under 15 game where he’d scored 94 against Saundersfoot with an over to go – but missed out on a first-ever century because his partner faced all of the last six balls!
He decided to join Cresselly after he had gained his degree at UWIC and was about to take his PGCE course to qualify as a games teacher. Ask Phil now and he would say it was the hardest decision he’s made in sport because, as well as his brothers at Hundleton there were other real characters like Steve Williams, Chris Stapleton, Nigel Arthur, Morgan Allen, Wesley Lewis and others who made it a smashing place to play.
Warm welcome at Cresselly
When he joined Cresselly he was made very welcome by both players and supporters, and says,
“I can remember feeling very nervous when I walked out to bat at No 5 on my first match at Haverfordwest, whose keeper Huw Scriven could see I was shaking a little. But I finished up with 25 not out and by the end of the season I was regularly opening the batting.”
“They were a good crowd in the team and Simon Cole, Damien Arthur, Adam Chandler, Ryan Lewis and Neilson Cole were joined by the real veterans in Lyn Richards and Richard Harris, who was always giving me good advice about my batting, which proved a great help.”
“It was the start of a great time because I have since played in four Harrison-Allen Bowl finals and was part of the team which shaded out Carew for the league championship last season. The 2009 season was amazing because we not only achieved the double of league and Harrison-Allen Bowl but were just one match away from Lord’s in the Village Cup Final before we lost to Glynde Beddingham – and I will never forget the support we had from all over the county. We lost our first final, against Lawrenny, beat Haverfordwest and Neyland, where I scored 50 plus 40 runs, but then lost again to either Haverfordwest or Carew. To be honest, I can’t remember which because I felt so disappointed!”
Three centuries so far
Phil has so far scored three centuries at Cresselly, the first being the most memorable because it was against Carew, on their own patch.
“They scored a huge 250 runs but Simon Cole and I battled well together until he got out. But I managed to stay there and we won by 8 wickets – and I really enjoyed hitting a six into the gardens to win the match and take me to 102 not out!”
His other ‘tons’ came in the first match of the 2009 season at Haverfordwest (a pretty good start to any season) and a Welsh Cup match against Llanybydder where he finished up with 125 runs.
Phil enjoyed another successful season in the batting stakes because although he was run out for a duck by Gregg Miller in the penultimate match he accumulated over 1000 runs in all competitions when he scored 52 not out in the final match. He also enjoyed being vice-captain for the second season to Simon Cole and is already looking forward to the 2011 campaign with some relish as he takes over the reins for the first time.
Other sports
He had played some junior football at Hundleton with Peter Luff as manager but rugby was always going to be his first choice after playing for Pembroke Comprehensive under the watchful eye of John Scrivenor throughout his time there. Then it was on to Pembroke Youth, coached by Neil Machin, where a good side which included Johnnie Thomas, Stuart Tyrie, Chris Shelmerdine, Viv Davies, Nicky James, Huw Day and Ben Williams won the inaugural Pembroke floodit sevens tournament - and then the Grifffiths Cup in Neyland with Dai Beynon and Martin Goodrick involved.
Playing for Pembroke First XV was the natural progression for Phil and he started out alongside good players of the calibre of Simon Edwards, Sandy Allen, Matthew Edwards, Peter Balkwell and Neil Humphreys – and a little later by Richard Mason and Richard Morris, plus the older youth players who went in with him.
Local derbies and rugby successes
Games against Pembroke Dock Quins are the highlight and Phil says of them,
“I couldn’t believe how nervous I was before my first Quins’ game and there is still a huge rivalry today, although I am more used to it now.”
Other memorable moments for him have been gaining promotion a couple of times in the National League and playing for the District H under 20 team alongside good players like Jonathan Thomas, Mike Phillips and David Maddocks in the Welsh Cup for their age group. He has also amassed his fair share of points with his kicking ability and has achieved a hundred points in a season on a number of occasions – and a few 20+ points in single matches.
And finally . . .
But it is cricket that now takes centre stage for Phil, although he does enjoy coaching other sports in school. The 2010 season was finished with a runners-up medal in the Steve James Memorial Six a Side at Haverfordwest – and was adjudged player of the tournament for his run-getting. He is already looking forward to the next campaign at Cresselly but admits,
“It is a huge honour to skipper Cresselly and I am really looking forward to it. I am ready to do my best and I know all the lads in the team will help me make sure we fly the club’s flag with style.”
PembrokeshireSport.co.uk is confident that he will do Cresselly CC proud and when late August 2011 comes along the name of Phil ‘Taffy’ Williams will surely feature amongst the main run-getters at Cresselly, and the county, once again.
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