At 75 years young Brian Slate still plays cricket for Kilgetty with the enthusiasm of someone a third of his age and even if his bowling has inevitably reduced in pace he is still accurate and often features in the list of wicket-takers for his club’s second string.
 
Brian originally hails from Haverfordwest but now lives in Llanllwch, over the border in Carmarthenshire, but still makes the weekly summer Saturday  journey in to our county – and was delighted when the fixtures this campaign took him to play as Saundersfoot, which completed his wish to play on every pitch in Pembrokeshire before he stopped playing.
 
As Brian told us when we bumped into him recently,
IT WAS AN IMPORTANT ITEM IN MY BUCKET LIST FULFILLED!
 

Started out on road in Priory Avenue, Haverfordwest

 
“My first involvement with this beautiful game of cricket started in the early 1950s, when we as youngsters set up ‘wickets’ on the road outside our houses in Priory Avenue, Haverfordwest.
 
“From there we proceeded to set up a wicket on the Rifleman Field, cutting out a strip using an old fashioned hand-pushed lawn mower. Many a competitive game was played there during the long sunny summer holidays among the locals.
 
“Television also played a part and watching great players playing in test matches in the late fifties and early sixties in black and white was always special and our heroes were English test players of the day like Peter May, Colin Cowdrey, Freddie Trueman and Frank Tyson (whose 32-yard run-up I tried to copy).”
 

Cricket days at Haverfordwest Grammar School

 
Brian started playing team cricket in 1958 when he was selected to play for the grammar school under 13 team which played other secondary school teams in the county, mainly on Thursday afternoons. This was followed a couple of years later by playing for the school`s first eleven, which was looked after by Mr Tudor ‘Titch’ Thomas,  alongside players like the late Tony Myles, Stuart Williams and Arthur Chapman, who all went on to make a name for themselves at Haverfordwest Cricket Club.
 
“After leaving school I couldn’t take up playing any team sport because of work and family commitments, but my love for cricket never waned, and I was always checking results and watching televised games, as well as taking my family occasionally to watch Glamorgan play at St. Helens.


 

A fresh start at Johnstown, in Carmarthenshire . . .

 
In the summer of 1978 we moved house to Johnstown, Carmarthen, where my involvement with cricket restarted. My wife Janet was talking one day to another parent at the primary school who informed her that Johnstown Cricket Club was in the process of forming a cricket team.
 
“Janet said that I was interested in cricket and I was subsequently invited along to participate and the rest is history. My love for the game was restored, and being able to play once more was exciting.
 
“We started by playing ‘friendlies’ against other local teams and I usually opened the bowling – and before too long we were accepted into the Carmarthenshire Cricket League. I was lucky to have total support from my wife Janet and I remember one season she did so much work that she received the ‘Clubman of the Year’ award!
 
“It was great to be playing with local lads from the village as even then I was considered to be ‘senior’ player who was in the same team as my two sons Graham and Richard, which to me was very special. In one match against Ferryside I remember taking 9 for 28 – and we still lost the match!”
 
After many seasons the enthusiasm for cricket in the area dwindled and the Carmarthenshire League finished, much to Brian’s dismay but he was approached by another local team, Bronwydd, who played in the South Wales League, to play with them. He enjoyed his two seasons with them but found the travelling to away games and the fifty overs a side making it a very long day.



 

. . . And then a return to play in Pembrokeshire

 
He then joined some of his former team mates, including his son Graham, at St Clears, which was his first introduction to the Pembrokeshire League alongside the likes of Huw Davies, Wayne John, Malcolm Protheroe and Alan ‘Santa’ Reynolds.
 
“In one Harrison-Allen Bowl match at Haverfordwest we started with six players and another four eventually turned up before we were all out for ten runs. I managed to get two early wickets before they finished on 11 for 2 – and one wag in our changing room said that it was a good job for them we didn’t score 30 – or we might have won!
 
“But after two successful seasons, including winning the Alan Brown Cup, St Clears folded  and I was very disappointed - but before the next season started I was asked to join Kilgetty, where Steve Merchant, a good friend of mine, was playing.




 

And finally, a move to Kilgetty

 
I enjoyed playing with the ‘Folly Farm’ lads Adge John, Steve Flook, Allan Hurst and Mike ‘Bandy’ Johns but again something happened within the club and we had to disband for a while - but I vowed that once the team were readmitted to the league I would return to play with them.
 
“So for one year I played my cricket with Whitland Second eleven before Kilgetty were readmitted to the lowest division the following year - and I immediately rejoined and had many successful seasons under the captaincy of Graham ‘Jinx’ Jenkins, with Billy Evans also involved.
 
“One special moment I can remember is when my grandson Morgan played in the team alongside me, which was a great thrill for both of us.”
 
But time was moving on and business commitments in Tenby did not allow him to play as often as he would have liked and for a couple of seasons he hardly played at all – but in 2019 Kilgetty found themselves short of players for the second eleven, so he volunteered to play with them.
 

A late come-back – at well past 70!

 
“In my first game back, whilst going for a ‘quick’ single, I slipped and pulled my hamstring which prevented me from playing for most of the season, and of course  the less said about 2020 the better, with the pandemic running wild and stopping us from playing much.
 
“It was ironic that I should get injured on a cricket pitch because I have run numerous  half marathons in the county, including a local one for charity on my 75^th birthday  and completed the London Marathon in 2001 and then in 2006 – and like everyone else taking part I was overwhelmed by the occasions and the fantastic crowds.”
 
“I thought at one stage that my playing days were just about over but on studying the fixture list for 2021 I could see that in the same division as Kilgetty were near-neighbours Saundersfoot.  On thinking about it I realised that Saundersfoot was the only ground in Pembrokeshire I had not played on. I let the selectors know that I was available most Saturdays and would love to play again.



 

And finally . . .

 
I had my cricketing wish and fulfilled my bucket list by playing and bowling in Saundersfoot. So job done THIRTY EIGHT different grounds played on, including the school ground at St Davids when there was a team there and, more recently, the Carew Seconds’ magnificent pitch which looks down on the castle.
 
Ask Brian about his active involvement on cricket pitches and he is adamant that with a bit of luck he can keep going for a while yet.
 
“I still get as much pleasure as ever in trying to do my best for Kilgetty  and my involvement hasn`t finished yet as I hope to continue playing for the club for as long as my body will allow me!
 
“I’ve made so many friends in opposing teams as well as my team-mates, most of whom are young enough to be my grandchildren, and I’m looking to meet as many as possible when I hopefully carry on taking wickets in 2022!