Pembrokeshire cricketer Simon Wood is off on Thursday on the cricketing adventure of a lifetime as he is one of the Welsh squad that will be jetting out to South Africa for the Over 50s World Cup Final.
 
Talented all-rounder Simon, who is known to all as ‘Woody’,  plays his cricket for Carew after previous spells with Kilgetty and Saundersfoot has long been held in high regard as a very stylish right-handed batsman and excellent medium pace swing bowler who can cause real havoc with the ball when the conditions are in his favour.
 
He is the only Pembrokeshire player in the squad in the 56 games that formulate the finals in and around Cape Town, at 20 local venues and with the final played at the world-famous Newlands Cricket Ground, with its fabulous back-drop that forms part of the heart of the area.
 
Simon is now 51 and he has already played 14 times for Wales in the UK domestic game where they play as a county against the likes of Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Gloucester and others, depending on the regional fixtures drawn each season.




 

Cricketing family

 
He hails from a well-known cricketing family where his father Barry, still playing some golf in his 80s after being rightly regarded by many as one of the top three cricketing all-rounders in the county, who also played for Wales over 50s, , as well as an outstanding badminton and hockey player. Big brother Mark joined Simon as a key player at Kilgetty renowned for his competitive approach to batting and especially bowling!
 
Simon certainly followed his father as a batsman with a classical style about him and his top score of 110 not out against Llangwm was proof of that alongside a best bowling haul of 5 for 5 against Burton.
 

Much silverware at local level

 
He played regularly for the county team as a young man and as well as a number of appearances in the DR Morris Cup he played nine times in Harrison-Allen Bowl Finals.

“I played three times for Kilgetty and we won them all for a club rich in character and talent– and had winner’s medals for 4 out of 6 finals with Carew.”
 
Joining him to watch all but one of the Welsh games will be his wife Donna, whom he regards as his main supporter, alongside daughters Megan and Becky, plus dad Barry and mum Brenda.
 
Outside of his cricket he would list golf and travel as other hobbies and there is no doubt that this series of games, from the 6th to the 20^th of March, will surely bring very special memories of the latter.
 
He is sponsored by Park Wall Caravans, Tavernspite Garden Centre, Truelife, and Vehocheck – and cricket lovers across Pembrokeshire will wish this top local cricketer every success in South Africa!