Sporting Snippets - with PembrokeshireSport.co.uk

Sporting Snippets – July 2011 . . . (read last month's stories)

Wendy needs a county road map

Spare a thought for Wendy Bradshaw, who does so much brilliant work for St Ishmaels Cricket Club but hasn’t quite got her sense of direction honed to such high levels.

Wendy was really delighted to be invited to a special Saturday lunch to celebrate Stan Richards’ 90 th birthday at The Harp in Letterston but, good Tish girl that she is, couldn’t wait afterwards to get to Lawrenny to act as scorer for the Tish first team.

She made a good start as she reached Canastan Bridge without mishap but then the problems began. Perhaps it was because she followed Maurice Cole, the president of the Pembroke County Cricket Club, who was also at the party, thinking he would be returning to the Quay pub in Cresswell Quay, just down the road from Lawrenny. But Maurice turned left to get petrol at Dickie Parry’s garage in Robeston Wathen – and then the fun began for Wendy!

She toured a number of the villages in South Pembrokeshire, starting with Templeton, Redberth and others close to Pembroke before she eventually found a road she knew and eventually arrived in Lawrenny in time for tea. Luckily for Tish, Pat Williams was a capable reserve in the scoring stakes so all’s well that ends well, but if anyone in St Ishmaels wants to know what Wendy wants for her birthday then a SatNav would feature high on her list of priorities!

Wicked sense of humour at Glebelands

They’ve got a wicked sense of humour at Johnston Cricket Club, as evidenced by a recent first-team match where poor old Lee Summons was given out lbw when he was just one run short of what would have been a deserved century. There was all sorts of teasing but none more apt than from former club captain Steve Jenkins, now languishing in the second team and playing an away match. But when he arrived back to the Railway Inn, their headquarters, he presented Lee with a Cadbury’s Flake he had bought en route – so that it would nicely finish off Lee’s 99! I’m glad to report that Lee took all the leg-pulling but Jenks ought to be in comedy writing with a brain like that!

Micky does things in real style

Micky Ellis has always been a little bit of a style guru amongst his colleagues in football at Merlins Bridge and Haverfordwest County and he looked the part when he led his team in the recent Bluebirds’ Golf Day at Haverfordwest Golf Club, so excellently organised by David Hughes.

But it seems that when his son Matthew got married he was even more stylish on the ‘stag do’ as the pair joined Paul Manwaring and Richard Thomas in a challenge match at no less a course than the National Course – in LAS VEGAS! I’m reliably informed that green fees start at around 100 dollars a round and the world-famous course is more than enough to test the very top golfers in the world – but Micky took on and beat his younger colleagues.

Sadly, he didn’t win the Haverfordwest County Golf Day but was by far the best-dressed captain – and is already doing a great job as manager of the first team at the Conygar Bridge Meadow Stadium!

Chairman’s challenge ends all square!

Another special challenge match over 18 holes on the same day at Haverfordwest Golf Club passed relatively unnoticed as Bluebirds’ chairman Rob Summons challenged PembrokeshireSport.co.uk’s Bill Carne to 18 holes of match play.

But not for them the rigours of a six-mile walk around the superb-looking course – their grudge tussle was played out on the putting green, with the two old codgers taking it in turns to nominate the starting point and the hole designated.

Refereed by David Hughes, and with Dai Crouch looking on in amazement, it was Bill who took the early lead before Rob made youth pay by taking a two-hole lead at the turn. Then four winning holes on the trot saw Bill go two up but another Summons’ surge saw him dormy one at the final hole - but he lost his nerve and the much older Bill kept his to sneak the hole – and a draw.

It was evident that neither participant had played much golf but the challenge has been thrown down already for a return match at the same time and venue next year – and should prove equally as nerve-wracking for the two daft old fogeys as this one!

Gregg goes for it – big time!

When Neyland beat Haverfordwest in the Harrison-Allen Bowl no-one was more delighted than Gregg Miller, who never gives less for the club than 100%, on or off the field. This was certainly so during the match as he batted and fielded well, although he was a little disappointed not to get a bowl – but all this was forgotten in the post-match celebrations.

The Bowl was filled with all sorts of alcoholic concoctions in the Cresselly Clubhouse and when all had taken a sip there was plenty left before they could move on to the Quay to further their evening so Gregg helped out by knocking back the remainder in quick time and off the bus went.

Back in Neyland, one of the youngsters in the team who had done well was invited to drink the yard of ale but sensibly declined because he had work the next day – so Gregg took up the challenge – and downed it all in one go to earn the cheers of his team mates and supporters.

Such celebrations weren’t without cost because when Gregg phoned me the next day to chat about the match (it was actually to boast because he says I am a Haverfordwest supporter!) the talented all-round sportsman had to admit that he had quite a hangover. But he fully deserved his chance to celebrate such a huge success – and PembrokeshireSport.co.uk was delighted for him!

(read last month's stories)