In the Genes

Tom Mansbridge receiving his MoM award from
Alan Brown sponsor Paul Webb

A fantastic day out @CCHendygwyn for the club yesterday, winning the Alan Brown cup. May not

mean much to some clubs but for us it was huge!

So Said Saundersfoot Cricket Club on their Twitter feed on Monday. It may have been huge for the club but for one young cricketer it was even bigger as Tom Mansbridge was named man of the match for his heroics with the ball.

For a player still competing in U15 cricket being awarded the accolade was huge. A left arm leg spin bowler who gives it air and a decent enough rip, Tom has a bright future in the game.

He took 4-20 in the first innings and 2-17 in the second.

If Glamorgan aren’t looking at him now then they should be as players of that quality are a rare breed, especially ones that can bowl what he does.

The youngest of a sports mad family it was inevitable that he was going to be good at cricket given his father Paul, is Pembrokeshire’s equivalent of Mark Waugh, a stylish, laid back right handed batsman, standing upright of the crease, not particularly strong against the short stuff but majestic against anything full.

Even though he’s passed his 50^th birthday he’s still producing the goods and hits the ball as hard as ever. He too shone in the final hitting 44 in the first dig against Llechryd and 34 in the second.

Then there is John, a promising all-rounder who bowls at a decent lick and bats with equal aplomb he scored an unbeaten 23 in the second innings after bowling figures of 2-14 in the first innings and 1 for 2 in the second.

Had the Man of the match award not gone to Tom, it could easily have gone to him.

Of course, Paul can’t take complete credit for their excellence, mum Sarah needs some too being a fine hockey player in her time before competing for Wales in the Commonwealth Games at bowls.

Young cricketers excelling in finals are nothing new. George Thomas once hit 70 odd in a Harrison-Allen final whilst still a teenager and then a few years later a short stocky 15-year-old left handed batsman hit a century for Cresselly in the Duggie Morris final against Pembroke but incredibly he wasn’t awarded man of the match honours.

That accolade went to Pembroke’s Mark Fraser instead for his century in the game. The reasoning, it’s rumoured, that more honours would come Dan Cherry’s name.

The Man of the match adjudicators may have had a point, Cherry went on to have a good career with Glamorgan hitting three centuries with a highest score of 226 against Middlesex.

Fast forward a few years and Andrew Salter opened the batting for St Ishmaels when they beat Carew in the Harrison-Allen final and performed admirably in both innings; he was just 14 at the time.

Pembrokeshire has always produced good junior cricketers and every generation can lay claim to having produced the best; whether the Mansbridge’s will end up being so remains to be seen, but it will be interesting to find out.

Team of the week

1. Iwan Izzard (Cresselly) 129 not out v Haverfordwest
2. Steve Lewis (Lawrenny) 110 v Carew
3. Ross Dewstone (Johnston 2nds) 119 not out v Narberth 2nds
4. Nick Koomen (Neyland) 94 v Johnston
5. Peter McGilloway (Lamphey) 86 v Hook 2nds
6. Daniel Richards (St Ishmaels) 79 v Llanrhian
7. Andrew Palmer (St Ishmaels) 8-6 v Llanrhian
8. Wayne Howells (Whitland) 7-33 v Narberth
9. Andrew Fletcher (Llechryd 2nds) 5-15 and 28 v Fishguard
10. Matthew Lewis (Whitland 2nds) 5-27 and 42 v Cresselly
11. Andrew Miller (Neyland) 5-32 v Johnston

An honourable mention to Hook’s Sam Rossiter. She scored 52 for their seconds against Lamphey and looked a serious player being equally adept against slow stuff and anything quicker. It was a patient innings too and helped their team to a creditable draw despite playing with just nine men.