Stories set in silver

One of the great trophies in amateur sport.
Pic taken from www.westerntelegraph.co.uk 
It's been sat on, thrown around, drunk from, spewed in and even left for dead in a taxi but from here on in, any tales that the Harrison-Allen trophy has to tell will be confined to history as whoever wins it on Sunday will have a different trophy to display in their trophy cabinet come Monday morning.

 The decision to provide the winner with a new one was made some time ago, the simple reason being the current trophy is far too valuable for clubs to look after.

 It's no surprise. It's 68 years old; made from solid silver, took one year to create and is valued at a price close to that of a high end luxury car or a small terraced house in the Valleys.

 To some, it's priceless and with good reason too.

 It's a work of art, a delicate one at that. The roses on the side have been soldered on more than once and even today often fall off while the shell is far from solid and is easy enough to dent.

 It's the most sought after trophy in Pembrokeshire Cricket and is the envy of other leagues across Wales and beyond. It's said a touring Australian side that came across it was amazed it was for amateur sport such is the craftsmanship that has gone in to it's creation.

 Unbelievable then, that it's often (unwittingly) been treated with disdain. It's fair to say that of all the clubs to have won the trophy, they have all celebrated with it in style, their hi-jinx often going overboard with excitement.

It's not the first Harrison-Allen trophy to have been presented however, the first was handed over in 1949 as the current one was still being made so a substitute was given to Narberth, the competition's first winners.

 It's still on show in Cresselly clubhouse with some from Narberth believing it should be given to them to keep given they were the original and only winners of it.

 The current bowl was first handed over in 1950, which is quite fitting given it's the year that Mr Hugh Harrison-Allen, who will hand over the trophy to this year's winners was born.

 Burton United won it that day, Cresselly are favourites for this year's crown although Lawrenny will have a thing or two to say about that.

 Could they be the first ones to take the substitute trophy home? 
The Original Harrison-Allen cup presented to Narberth in 1949















This Sunday's final promises to be a good one so try and see it live. 

 There'll be no over by over reports produced by the Western Telegraph's Fraser Watson this weekend as he's off to a wedding.

 No idea who's wedding it is but I've never understood people getting married in the cricket season hence why mine was scheduled for September!

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