PHOTO:
Bill Carne and Paul Webb

Star of the Month:

Cricket players, officials and administrators have been so busy in this sun-soaked Summer that this month we have decided to recognise TWO stalwarts of the game for August and we start with Paul Webb, who has played the game for four decades, is captain of a Welsh Over 50s team and does such terrific work as chairman of the Pembroke County Cricket Club.
 
Paul is in his second year at the helm of our county's cricket and is rightly proud of the fact that he has visited every club in our local league set-up, always accompanied by his wife Janice, whom he describes as his first-class supporter in all he does.
 
"Janice never misses a match and is always with me, and this is especially so when we play for the Welsh Over 50s team because she doubles up as the official scorer and when we both completed 50 games for Wales I had a specially-made cap - and Janice received a special cake and flowers for her work."
 

Amazing record at Whitland

 
Paul started out as a player at Whitland in 1978 and during his long career at the club he was captain for an amazing 18 seasons, a feat that is recorded for posterity on the club's captains' board.
"Nine years was the longest I did in succession and I always felt honoured to be leading the team, especially in 2000, when we gained promotion - and the club is still there as a top-half team today."
 
He is so committed to the huge amount of travel entailed with playing for the Welsh second team that he rarely has time for Saturday matches but he has played a couple of times this season for Cresselly Thirds, where his cricketing sons Robert (28), Matthew (26) and Tim (22) have also played - and as a qualified umpire he has officiated in two league games, including his debut in Division One when Johnston entertained Neyland.
 

Wonderful memories with Wales

 
Wales have done well in his two seasons as skipper and undoubted highlights have been tours abroad to Sri Lanka and then India, which he and Janice will never forget.

"We had five games, three in Mumbai, where the cricket was fantastic but the city filled me with awe because of the organised chaos there; and two in Goa, where we could savour a slower way of life.
 
"We were made hugely welcome at some terrific grounds and I batted quite well and won the award for top bowler, which might surprise some people!"
 
Ask Paul about being county club chairman and he would say that he is full of praise for his colleagues as he works closely with Steve Blowes as secretary, Richard Merriman as vice-chairman, Andrew Scott-Davies (treasurer) and Nick Evans as president, plus others who form a hard-working group.
 

Not an easy job at times

 
"Sometimes we have to take tough decisions because in any dispute one side is going to feel hard done by but we are all volunteer cricket lovers and it is only when people join the committee that they realise what there is to do in that way.”
 
Part of Paul's duties is to organise the end-of-season presentation of trophies for the top team in each of the five divisions and to perform the presentations for all the cup competitions.
 
At every final he looks immaculate in his county blazer and tie and makes a point of thanking everyone for their part on the big days.
 
But the only person whom he doesn't thank is Paul Webb esquire and we are happy to put that right by awarding him one of our two 'Stars of the Month' trophies for August 2018 - and to say thanks for all their yeoman work to Paul (and Janice)!