Stephen Thornton leads the Valero sporting support in Pembrokeshire

 
Stephen Thornton is hugely involved with cricket at Cresselly but also the whole community of Pembrokeshire because as Refinery Public Affairs Manager  of Valero Refinery he is responsible for administrating  the company’s sizeable budget to help support good causes around the county and beyond.
 
It is a challenging but satisfying role because he is charged with the responsibility of organising where that money will best help in so many ways, including sport, in Pembrokeshire – and we were delighted to present Stephen with one of our special new badges in recognition of his work there and with developing youngsters at Cresselly Cricket Club!.
 

A Cresselly cricketer who has led his team to success this season

 
Ask Stephen about his cricket involvement  in Cresselly this season and he would admit to being delighted because has been captain of the third team which has won the fifth division with two matches still to go, as he and vice-captain Stefan Jenkins and ‘first lieutenant’ Tom Rowlands had a clearly-stated aim of maintaining the club’s high standards on the field, whilst bringing talented young players en route to the first and second team.
 
Two of those youngsters are his sons Lucien (right arm fast bowler and batsman) and Corin (left arm swing bowler and developing batsman) alongside others like Cayden Jones, Arthur Jenkins, Fin Richards, Josh Richards and Cody James. Stephen would describe himself as a bowler but currently keeps wicket so that he has a full view of the game, but has his best bowling figures in the county of 4 for 20 against Neyland - but was hoping to have an over or two in the final game, when they were ensured of a place in the Fourth Division next season.
 

Played earlier in London – and a fan of indoor cricket

 
Stephen came to work in Valero from employment in London and whilst there he plated for Harrow Weald in the third division of the Middlesex County League, with a standard perhaps comparable to the higher reaches of Pembrokeshire - and with the likes of Angus Fraser and Mark Ramprakash living nearby it wasn’t unusual to see them turning out for odd games when they needed a bit of practice.
 
Stephen has been playing at Cresselly for about five years now and is quick to sing the praises of the welcome he has been given here, not only in his own club but around the county, and is a great fan of indoor cricket, where he has been involved the young second team at the club.
 
“There are some who belittle the value of this form of the game, saying it isn’t a ‘real’ form of cricket, but doubters used to say that of ‘T20’ and ‘The Hundred’ and look where they are now. I think it can dramatically improve a team’s fielding, as it has done at many years in Neyland, taking sharp catches and the judgement needed for running between the wickets.”
 
Stephen also played indoors for the Pembrokeshire Veterans at one stage but now focuses his attention on helping to develop cricket in Cresselly.
 

Originally from Ireland – and enjoys watching hurling

 
Those that know Stephen might be surprised to learn that he is Irish, with parents hailing from Galway and Donegal and outside of his cricket, Stephen also enjoys football and the Irish sport of hurling is also in his blood because his father used to play and he and the family watched Mayo win the All-Ireland Cup, Final last season for the first time in 75 years, in front of a huge crowd.
 
“I liked the typically Irish story making the rounds afterwards that a legend told the saga of a local priest, who had somehow put a curse on them not to win the coveted cup for - you’ve guessed it - 75 years”, Stephen told us with a typical chuckle!
 
Stephen is also a cousin of Irish cricketing legend Ossie Colhoun, who famously kept wicket for Ireland against the West indies in 1969 when Ireland bowled out the West Indies for 25!
 

And finally . . .

 
Going back to his role at Valero, is rightly proud of the fact that they are so involved in our community and told us, “Valero sponsors many sectors across the county including health, education and sport. Charitable organisations and good causes are helped with priority going to educational and community based projects.

"Valero seeks to improve the quality of life in the communities in which we live and operate, provide young people with an opportunity to achieve their potential and provide stewardship in programmes which alleviate a lack of basic need in the community. Valero recently raised £700k for local children's charities."

We at PembrokeshireSport.co.uk have seen the marvellous work that Stephen Thornton and Co at Valero have done, in promoting the sporting aspects of their community work, especially with regard to promoting junior sport, disability sport and ladies sport, alongside the run of highly popular sporting activities in our community – and long may they continue to do so!