Jacob Lay is one of the talented breed of young all-round sportsmen in this county as he plays cricket for Hook and Pembrokeshire at under 15 level, rugby for Haverfordwest RFC junior section and the county under 15s as a strong-running inside centre - and just for fun tried the javelin in school and was soon county and Dyfed Champion, successfully representing the latter in the Welsh Regional Championships in Cardiff.
 
Jacob has just made a smashing start to the new cricket season at Hook Cricket Club, where his father Brennan has been a regular run-gatherer for more than two decades but has been shaded a little by Lay junior in May because whilst Brennan has enjoyed a couple of double figure scores son Jacob scored 58 not out for Hook first XI against Saundersfoot in the second division (Brennan managed 10!) and a few days later contributed a classy unbeaten 52 in the Harrison-Allen Bowl match at Imble Lane against Pembroke Dock.
 
It will be interesting to see who comes out on top in the Lay family run chase this season but at the moment the hot favourite is undoubtedly Jacob.
 
Interestingly, Jacob would list rugby as his current No 1 sport after starting out as a seven year old in the tag version of the game at Haverfordwest RFC and following the same group through to under 15 level, coached by John Williams, Alan Evans and dad Brennan, who was a very good full back himself at Llangwm RFC as a younger man.
 
Jacob tried outside half and full back before eventually settling at inside centre and as well as staying in that position for the Young Blues plays for the Tasker Milward School team coached by Mr Andrew Barlow.
 
Jacob was chosen for the Pembrokeshire under 11s and has remained in the squad which is coached by Johnny Llewellin and Mike Jones right through to the recent season, where he joined the start of the 'Pathways' Scheme which was designed by the Welsh Rugby Union to provide expert coaching and encourage talented young players to achieve their optimum in terms of progress.
 
"We were well coached by Mike and Johnny and did well to reach the last eight in the Dewar Shield before losing narrowly to a strong Bridgend side," Jacob told us, "and playing against Cardiff Schools at The Arms Park, with Alex Varney as my co-centre, where we lost by seven points in a smashing game.
 
“The next step is hopefully to get accepted into the Scarlets West and Academy squads,” said Jacob, “and I’m ready for all the hard work that will bring. – I can’t wait for the new rugby season to begin, although I’m enjoying my cricket at Hook.”
 
Another earlier highlight was being part of a Haverfordwest under 14 team that competed in the 'Leicester Tigers' Challenge' competition at Butlins, Minehead, where they won all the round-robin matches and their semi-final against St Peters (Cardiff) before defeating a useful Abergavenny team in the final.
 
On the cricket front, Jacob watched Brennan play for Hook almost as soon as he could walk and as a six year old began to play 'Kwik Kricket' with the under 9 team which was coached by Ben Field and included other future talents like Callum James and Aled Phelps.
 
"We played through all the age groups together and then youth and now senior cricket at the same time," said Jacob, " and I've also enjoyed playing at all age groups for Pembrokeshire, with Andrew Williams (Narberth), Lyn Rees (Neyland) and dad as coaches, with good players like Geraint Rees (Neyland), James Davies (Burton) and he Thomas (Whitland) also involved.
 
"We did well last season against the likes of Cardiff and the Vale, Mid and West Glamorgan, Carmarthenshire and Eryri - and I've been on county tours to Aberystwyth, Bromsgrove, Ipswich and North Wales.
 
“My mum Debbie always takes me everywhere I want for sport if Dad is busy,” said Jacob, and my nan Barbara is a great supporter, so I have been very lucky with family support.”
 
Jacob is now safely settled in senior cricket but is still eagerly anticipating the forthcoming T20 series for under 19s which is due to start soon and he'll be playing for a Cleddau Crusaders’ squad which will be captained by Phil Llewellyn and chosen from the teenagers at Hook and Llangwm cricket clubs.
 
With regard to his javelin throwing, Jacob first tried his hand in a games lesson at Tasker Milward School and discovered that he could throw it further than his class mates without any formal training, and was quickly installed in the school team for the County Sports, which he duly won.
 
He then represented Pembrokeshire in the Dyfed Schools' Championship and again surprised himself with first place on the podium - and then went on to collect a very creditable silver medal at the Welsh Regional Championships which were held at Leckwith Stadium in Cardiff, with a personal best throw of 37.94 metres.
 
Returning to cricket for a moment, Jacob is a real youngster in the Hook first team but dad Brennan is pleased to report that his offspring isn't the only budding talent.
"For a long time we have had a lot of older players but things have changed for the better because with Brennan Martin as someone at the helm at just 23 we have teenagers of the calibre of Jacob, Tom Blaxland, Jake Wicks and Jack Davies all settled in to the first team, with the likes of Aled and Callum sure to feature soon on a regular basis so Hook's future is in safe hands."
 
It is clear that although Jacob lists rugby as his favourite sport he is heavily involved in cricket.
"I have had great support from dad, but also from Ben Field, Stuart Blaxland, Jamie Phelps and David Petrie and I hope to be able to play a couple of long innings with my father before he retires!" he says with a chuckle.
 
Although Brennan says that he is happy to just help out now that more and more youngsters are making the Hook grade it is to be hoped that Jacob’s wish comes true because he has done a great job for Hook – and it already seems assured that the Lay family tradition is to be continued in style with Jacob proving such a fine player at such a young age!