We are delighted to have Fraser Watson as a special guest writer to provide his usual thoughtful and sideways look at how the Pembrokeshire league cricket season has gone . . .

   

Carew’s glory, Rhys’s redemption, and the constant clamour for change 

 
So this time around, there was to be no regrets. Carew went into the final day with the title in their own hands, and emphatically got over the line with the kind of powerful batting display that has signified their season.
 
Last year, of course, they had also led the table ahead of their season finale. A decision at the toss, freakish mathematical circumstances, and quite frankly, Neyland’s refusal to die left The Rooks crestfallen. Rewind back to 2017, and again, they stepped onto the field for one last time that August in control of their own destiny. That evening, they did go on to lift the trophy, but to say the achievement and subsequent celebrations would be masked by controversy would probably be a ludicrous understatement.
 
This year, there can be no doubts or disputes. In their final two games this summer, when it mattered most, they put title rivals Cresselly and then Neyland to the sword. After what happened against St Ishmaels in 2024, had Rhys Davies won either toss, it’s most likely he would have uttered ‘we’re batting’ within a nanosecond. As it happened, it was a call he didn’t have to make, losing both calls, only to be asked to pad up anyway.
 

‘Impressive’ Davies speaks his mind

 
Davies was impressive when I spoke to him on Sunday. There was no shying away from the outcome of last season, no glossing over the heartbreak, no blaming the county’s bonus points system or match format. Hindsight is a simple concept in cricket, especially for those of us who have never been in the position he was that day. He admitted his regret, but more importantly, his determination to bounce back from it. 
 
Although the outcome hurt him, his and his players' response this season has been a testament to them. Davies vowed to put things right and asked his team to do the same. Enduring setbacks and ‘what if’ moments are commonplace in sports, but it’s how you respond that defines you. Davies and Carew deserved this title.
 

Days to celebrate across six divisions

 
They weren’t the only ones involved in the final day tension. In Division 2, both the title and relegation battles went to the wire, and some sides in the lower leagues were fighting to survive up until the final ball. For all the perceived drawbacks involved in Pembrokeshire cricket, you cannot beat emotion, the nerve-jangling, or the anger at the vital LBW their umpire didn’t give you, when there is something at stake.
 
Those are the days you remember in local cricket. Whatever the division, whether there is a trophy on the line, survival, or personal milestones, it’s the Saturday stuff that forges the friendships, the camaraderie, the rivalries. It’s the format we talk about in a pub in 20 years' time with former teammates and foes, when, of course, things were better in our day.
 
There should always be a place for a longer format in local cricket. It’s the one that tests you most in terms of temperament, tactics, and teamwork. It’s the one where you have to apply yourself, to change your approach, to adapt your captaincy depending on the situation. The cup competitions in Pembrokeshire provide their own drama; the Harrison-Allen Bowl final is the county’s marquee day, but it’s the league cricket that lays the foundations. 
 

Overs system still needs attention – as does any need for change

 
Yet, we are constantly being told the game around here needs to be revamped and changed, albeit from people who mysteriously go missing when the annual AGM comes around. We have already permitted win-lose cricket and the option of coloured kits, neither of which I oppose, by the way. But this ridiculous concept whereby divisions 2 and 3 consist of fewer overs than the top-flight, and divisions 4 and below, fewer still, is counterproductive. Yes, the prospect of a guaranteed 5:30pm finish each week may entice some, but on the contrary, once they are used to it, moving up won’t appeal. 
 
Through all this, we are frequently reminded that we need to attract youngsters to our game. Of course, we do. But there are times when young people have to help themselves as well; otherwise, where does it end? This week, we’ve had nonsense flying about over the need for divisional cups and seedings. Soon, we’ll be a step away from playing T10 matches all summer and awarding every club a participation trophy for paying their affiliation fees.
 

Right balance needed between league and cup cricket

 
The beauty of cup competitions is the mismatches, the upsets, the chance to occasionally test yourself against the best. If a side is dominating Division 1, or the Alec Colley or Alan Brown, it’s up to the rest to raise their game. In local sport, any team has a puncher’s chance on the day, but to compete at the top regularly, well, it’s up to the players themselves to do that and not the authorities. Sometimes, the solution lies much closer to home than people care to realise. 
 
Of course, there is always room for tinkering and evolving rules. We want entertainment. But to shorten the Saturday format further would be the death knell. There should always be scope for grinding out a final-ball win on a Saturday afternoon, when both sides have given their all, and the clock is ticking past 7pm with the sun going down. The pubs are still open, you can still catch up on the Premier League highlights, and in most cases, anyway, your partners will still be there on Sunday morning.
 

Ask Rhys if hard graft is worth it!

 
Our product isn’t perfect; I’m not claiming that. In a parallel, idealistic universe, all our senior games have neutral umpires, all six divisions are thriving with 10 teams, every scorer is on play cricket, and standards are exceptional from top to bottom. Reality check. The said parallel universe doesn’t exist. So rather than pander to those shouting for a revolution, let’s appreciate and embrace what we have.
 
Maybe anyone crying out for a drastic overhaul should have spoken to Rhys Davies on Sunday morning. At any level, in any league, you cannot beat the feeling of a summer of work coming to fruition with a title sealed on the final day. 
 
Have 18 weeks of toil, organising, 90-over matches and late finishes really been worthless for him?