This season will see the return to the field of a Pembrokeshire County Youth cricket team. With three confirmed fixtures in the calendar this team will provide a platform for the county’s talented 16 to 18-year-olds to play together and pit their skills against a range of opposition.
 

Vikings led the way

Last season heralded the appearance of the Pembrokeshire Vikings, a cricket team set up in the absence of a county youth team. The Vikings made a great start in 2022, securing a nail-biting last ball victory against the Wales XL (Forty Club). Such was the quality of the game that skipper Josh Lewis of Cresselly CC found himself receiving the Wales Regional XL award in the long room at Lords.
 

County Club pick up the baton

In the close season the County Club’s Executive Committee took the decision to take the youth team back into its fold. The Vikings have therefore been vanquished but the reborn County Youth team will provide a more sustainable future for the county’s talented young players.

The new cricket pathway in Wales has brought many positives for young cricketers but the move to four new regional identities saw Pembrokeshire disappear as a standalone region. With a similar outcome across Wales this added to the demise of competitive inter-regional cricket within the youth age group.

However, there are green shoots of a move to reinvigorate what was once a marvellous opportunity and experience for young players.
 

Exciting fixtures lay ahead

The cricket calendar becomes ever more packed but the County Youth will play three fixtures this season as follows.

25^th June v Pembrokeshire Seniors at Kilgetty CC
9^th July v Wales XL (Forty Club) at Hook CC
3^rd August v South Wales Junior Cricket League Under 17s at Whitland CC

The team will be led by coach Jon Willington with support from the County Club Vice-Chair, Martin Jones. It was Jon who brought the Vikings into existence last season and he is delighted to have been given the opportunity to take the team forward.

‘I have to thank the County Club for adopting the Vikings and supporting the rebirth of a County Youth team. I am not sure a youth set up would have been sustainable long-term without its support. I am really excited about the fixtures for this season which I hope will act as a springboard for years to come. We will be providing the same opportunity to players that so many of us benefitted from years ago.

‘I still look back with great memories on my county youth experience under the likes of Hugh Phillips, Dai Williams and Phil ‘Spam’ James, albeit I probably caused them some nightmares!

I hope the current and future generations of young players across the county create similar memories for themselves in years to come. It would be great to see the local cricketing community turn out in force to support the players as they showcase their talent.’
 

And finally . . .

Cricket followers will be able to keep up to date with news about the team and its fortunes via the Facebook page ‘Pembrokeshire Youth and Junior Cricket’. Reports and pictures from each fixture will also feature exclusively here on Pembrokeshire Sport.