Gone too soon

Aled and Tom Davies

When Aled Davies took the tenth Kilgetty wicket to fall during a division one league game last season no-one knew it at the time but it would be the last wicket he would ever take in an illustrious career.

With the 2018 cricket season almost upon us, few would have bet against the quality all-rounder taking more over the coming months yet instead, the flags are flying half mast in his memory.

His illness was known about in Carew circles although his passing has still come ‘as a bolt out of the blue’ according to the Rook’s cricket secretary Nick Scourfield.

At 55 there was still cricket in him.

He will always be known as a Carew cricketer although his first forays into Pembrokeshire cricket came in Cresselly colours where he joined his brothers Ceri and Gari in making up part of the first team.

In 1990, all three defected to Carew a move that caused ripples at the time yet for Aled it was a move that made sense given he was dating Wendy at the time who is part of the Hicks dynasty of Carew cricketers and they would eventually marry.

Playing for Carew would have been easier if nothing else!

He slotted in straight away, his talent made sure of that. A stylish batsman and skilful bowler, his ability complemented the others in the team and it was no surprise that in his first season at the club, Carew would win the division one league title.

They would win it in ‘91 and ‘92 also and in ‘91 they were the first team to ever win the triple of the League, Harrison-Allen and Jubilee cup.

Aled would play a starring role in all three competitions.

Had luck gone their way, they very well could have won a fourth competition yet fell in the quarter-finals of the village cup although if it wasn’t for Aled, they wouldn't even have got that far.

Playing Tiddington, a team near Oxford, Carew had restricted them to 190 and the Rooks got off to a flyer with Peter Hall leading the way falling just short of a well deserved century

Then came a collapse which needed Aled’s skills as a batsmen to see them over the line.

He inched his way closer to the target with them needing two to win off the last ball.

Unsure of the rules, the umpires held up play to check what would happen if it were a tie.

It took them over five minutes to decide but that didn’t affect Aled. He scampered a single off the last ball and Carew were through courtesy of a faster scoring rate.

Horlick’s assault had proved decisive along with Aled’s skills at the end.

Sadly, both would pass within 12 months of each other.

“I think as an all-rounder, only Martyn Cole could touch him,” added Scourfield.

“His cricket seemed effortless, especially with ball in hand. He knew exactly what ball he wanted to bowl.

“He’d work a batsman out, get them to play as he wanted them to play and then all of a sudden they’d be gone.

“He had decent pace but above all, he had a fabulous cricketing brain.”

As much a competitor on the pitch, he was a gentleman off it, a fact not lost on social media where the tributes have been as much about Aled the man as Aled the cricketer.

"Back in the early ‘90’s we’d be vying with Haverfordwest for league honours and they had some very good players such as Andrew and Stephen Phillips, Steve James, Colin Williams and Paul Thomas,” said Scourfield.

“The cricket would be hard but regardless of what happened on the pitch, he’d be the first to mix with the opposition off it.

“He was old school in that regards and made a lot of friends as a result. Players respected him on and off the pitch.

“We could all take a leaf out of that.”

Despite his talent, he never captained Carew although he did captain Pembrokeshire and was good enough to earn 20 or 30 caps for Wales.

He was also a good footballer playing centre back and in goal for Carew and once played in a senior cup final against Saundersfoot, yet despite all of this success never went to his head.

A club man through and through he could be seen helping on the ground and around the clubhouse, putting something back in from a club that had given him so much.

His legacy lives on in his son Tom who is following in his footsteps as a quality all-rounder, excellent goalkeeper and who is embarking on a career as a teacher.

A mark of a good player is one who has time to ply his trade.

Aled had that in spades on the pitch but fate conspired that he didn’t have enough off it when he still had so much more to give.

He will be missed.