Play it hard

Hopes for the season
Paul and Janice Webb

Pembrokeshire County Cricket Club Chairman Paul Webb wants Pembrokeshire’s best cricketers to prove just how good they are this season ahead of the six senior County Cricket fixtures planned for 2017.

Looking forward to his first season in charge of the local game Webb (who will play for Cresselly this year after a long standing association with Whitland) hopes Pembrokeshire’s best can help raise playing standards and numbers to help put an end to the perennial pessimism surrounding our Summer sport.

“I want every single player to get on with the game, play the game hard but fair and commit themselves to their clubs so we can have successful season.

“As an executive, we’re working hard with the clubs to try and raise interest and standards in the game and one of the ways we feel we can do this is to arrange more fixtures for our County’s senior side.

“In days gone by, playing for the County was an honour and for one reason or another, fixtures have declined over recent years so we have six planned for this year with the highlight being the fixture against Glamorgan seconds and we want to give them a good game.

“Our junior and youth set up is thriving with an increase in clubs running sides this year and hopefully our County’s best players can act as role models for them.

“I’d also like them to try and encourage players who might have stepped away from the game to try get them back playing.”

Webb also made reference to player discipline and his hopes that player banter doesn’t cross the line.

“Players and supporters need to accept the decisions that are made and move on. It’s only a game of cricket.

“Things don’t always go the way you want them to but we all need to remember that people are giving their time for nothing because they love the game and sometimes decisions are made that people may not agree with.”

Being an administrator while still playing will offer Webb the chance to really find out what players want from the game and he’ll always be open to to hear the views of players and supporters.

He also wants to see a different club lift the trophies on offer especially in the first division where there’s often a battle between the four top sides and the rest.

“Neyland and Haverfordwest are probably favourites for the division one title and some of the cup competitions but I’d really like to see a different club lift some silverware. It will make the season interesting.

“I think Lawrenny have something developing and they could pose a challenge to the so called big four.

“I just hope the season is competitive, that clubs don’t struggle to put sides out and all the fixtures are fulfilled and not called off for reasons such as player unavailability.

“Pembrokeshire cricket has been strong in the past and we need to maintain that. We’ve produced some first class cricketers for Glamorgan and hopefully we can produce some more.”

The season starts on Sunday and it starts off with a bang.

Haverfordwest host Neyland while Cresselly take on dark horses Lawrenny with the two new boys Kilgetty and Pembroke battling it out at Kingsmoor.

Calling the winner of those three is a difficult task as is the game between St Ishmaels and Whitland.

On paper, Carew v Johnston is an easier result to predict but the game isn’t played on a page and the Tigers will have an input as to how that story ends.