‘Around the Boundary’  Feature:

 

 
Andrew ‘Sparky’ had been out of mainstream cricket with Pembroke for several years because of other commitments but he has been able to play on a more regular basis more recently - and in his last two innings before we spoke, he showed he is back with a bang as he scored 109 not out against Lawrenny 2nds and then 106 not out in his next match against Lawrenny 2nds, batting through on both occasions at his beloved Treleet Ground!
 
He missed out on a possible hat-trick of ‘tons’ because on the weekend between he was busy elsewhere, taking his sons Joe (10) and Cody (8), who are his pride and joy, on a promised weekend to see the wild animals at Chester Zoo!
 

Getting back via the second team

 
Known to all as “Sparky’ (“Because I was a bit on the hyper-active side as a nipper” he admitted!) his first innings included 17 fours and two sixes, the latter, 13 fours and two sixes.
“I was thrilled that we gained promotion from Division Four with the likes of Will Davidson-Randell in charge alongside Will Davies, occasionally Luke Butler and Paul ‘Chalkie’ White, plus Charlie Perkins as our talented teenager and Rob Smyth at the other end of the age scale as a young-at-heart pensioner!”
 
‘Chalkie’ returned the compliment by telling PembrokeshireSport.co.uk
“I have known Sparky for a long time and have huge respect for his playing ability – and the pitch and changing room are certainly different with him there – and certainly a good deal noisier!”
 

A top performance on his return from Stackpole

 
Sparky set out at Pembroke Cricket Club with the club’s under 10s and stayed there for four years before he joined Stackpole with his pals like Josh Davies, Rob Jones and Huw Cox - and stayed there for almost a decade alongside great club servants like Richard Mackay and some great characters too many to mention here.
 
Then he rejoined Pembroke and in his first season back there helped them gain promotion into the first division - before family commitments eventually caused him to step down from regular playing until he was able to recently return and is now fully back in action.
 
His only other century came a while ago when he was promoted to open the first-team batting with current skipper Jack Harries and made 101 not out against Kilgetty at Kingsmoor - and it proved to be a day to remember as he also grabbed five wickets with his deceptively sharp bowling!
 
As well as his aggressive batting he is also bowling his deceptive off-spin stuff - after being forced to switch from his medium pacers when he broke his wrist.



 

High praise for the Treleet troop

 
“It has always been a smashing club but has become even more family-friendly because of the hard work of Kevin Jenkins as president, Luke Butler (chairman), Jack Harries (first-team vice-captain and captain), Luke Butler (chairman), Jonathan Davies (groundsman), Paul White, Eleri Williams and plenty of others.
 
“There are loads of youngsters there with their dads and it is great that I am able to take Joe and Cody with me because they just chase around with friends they have made, and play a bit of their version of cricket, which is a bonus!
 

Family Matters . . .

 
On the subject of families, there is another member of the Hay clan returning to action on a more regular basis as brother Phil, a more than useful wicketkeeper/batsman, is also making a come-back because his son Bradley (9) is taking an interest in the game - and some of the Hay youngsters are also involved at Pembroke Dock Cricket Club under the watchful eye of Jake Davies and Neil Gregory.
 
Sparky’s mum and dad, Patricia and Graham, are also part of the equation because she has always been supportive in her boys’ sporting interests and dad rarely misses a match at Treleet if the Hay boys are playing.


 

. . . And other sports

 
Outside of his cricket, Sparky was a more than useful rugby player from his schooldays, playing as a nippy scrum half and eventually playing youth rugby for Pembroke and then forcing his way into The Scarlets’ first team once he was out of his teens, with either Phil ‘Taffy’ Williams or Lewis Davies as his partner at No 10.
 
“But then I started having injury problems because I wasn’t the biggest scrum half around and I had to step down when I kept popping a knee out a few times.
“I did try playing football for Hundleton 2nds but it wasn’t the same and work commitments meant I couldn’t be off injured too much.”
 
But it is good to report that Sparky renewed his involvement in the oval-ball game because he helps Joel Crockford coach Pembroke Under 9s, with son Cody involved on a Sunday morning, whilst Joe played football for Carew under 11s, with Lloyd Wilson as coach.
 

And finally . . .

 
Chat to Sparky for a short while and his enthusiasm for Pembroke Cricket Club is immense but there is no doubt that the admiration is mutual because one only has to chat to long-serving members and they are delighted this larger-than-life character is back
 
As club chairman Luke Butler told us,
“Sparky certainly adds some life into our matches because he is 100% committed, loves being back in action and is raring to go again next year on a regular basis – and that can only be a bonus for us.
 
Club president Kevin Jenkins, the doyen of Treleet, added,
“He is certainly a first-team player if he can continue to play more – and he would add another dimension to our squad because he can score quickly and take vital wickets. He certainly lives up to his nickname and can raise the spirits, on and off the field.”
 
We couldn’t describe Sparky any better than they have done on the field but we can only add that he is great fun to be with, as he will prove if  helping out at the forthcoming Alec Colley Cup Final at the club, when if you are anywhere within 50 yards of their burger bar you certainly will knew he is also back in action off the field as a burger salesman!