The Beamer

Batting against Whitland recently - pic taken  from www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/sport With over 700 runs and 32 wickets to his name it's fair to say Tom Davies is having a season to be proud of. Topping the batting charts at the half way point and second place in the bowling, he's the county's premier all-rounder at this point in time and arguably the county's best cricketer which is no mean feat given the names making up the list of Pembrokeshire best batsmen and bowlers. They're all impressive players. Now, aged 27 and in his ninth season as a first team player at Carew he's playing at the peak of his powers, opening the batting and bowling of one of Pembrokeshire's most prestigious clubs and revelling in the chance to bat in one spot and making it his own. It was at the end of last season that he was asked to open the innings and it was a move that immediately paid off being not out in every game he played.  The form hasn't tailed off.

Henderson Springer and Haverfordwest youth coach Simon Williams. Pic. John Twigg The names rolled off the tongue as though he'd never left these shores; Colin Williams, Andrew Phillips, Stephen Phillips, Peter Hall, Martin Cole, Gethin Evens, Jinks; all legends of their day and names we still talk about today. Hendy, or Henderson Springer to go by his real name is one of them too and on Friday at Haverfordwest Cricket Club it was easy to understand why his time at the club had such an impact on those who took the field with him and those that saw him play. The numbers may not stack up the way that he would have liked (no centuries in his time here although he did take 17 five wicket hauls) but his influence lives on; the scores of youngsters coached by him last night is testament to that. Today's cricketers may not appreciate it but he arrived on these shores at a time when West Indies cricket was still at its peak so his arrival in Pembrokeshire came as something as

It's usually a given that the team languishing at the foot of a divisional table during the half way point of the season will be one of two to go down. It's especially true in cricket considering it's an individual team sport. Poor performing teams tend to lack the personnel to drag themselves from the mire. As we play the final round of matches before the second half begins, you'd be a brave man to bet against Llangwm, Cresselly 2nds, Whitland 2nds and Haverfordwest 4ths from avoiding the drop while Stackpole 2nds look odds on for winning the most wooden of spoons. All hope is lost then unless you take the St Louis Blues as inspiration. In January, during the regular season of North America's National Hockey League, they were bottom of their division. A talented group on paper, they were playing like a rag bag bunch, unable to string a run of results together to dig their way out of the hole. Things were so bad they considered putting their entire squad

The Nomads A social team with no ground of their own are being touted as favourites for this year's Ken Morris Cup. The annual competition for our county's third teams,  will have a new team among the usual suspects with  the Nomads making their debut later this week. Formed around eight years ago and made up of a mixture of young and old together with experienced players with a smidgen of non-cricketers, the team have been granted a place in this year's competition and many are predicting they could lift the trophy at their first attempt. Skippered by Richard 'Dickie' Reed, the team will be known to many throughout the county after playing a series of friendlies over the years although in recent seasons, finding fixtures is more difficult. The Ken Morris Cup provides them with the fixtures they crave and adds a bit of competition for what is primarily a knock-about side. "The concept was created by those who couldn't play on weekends but who

John Ebeneezer Players in division three and below may know him as will patients at Withybush Hospital but the name John Ebeneezer isn't one that is familiar with many within the Pembrokeshire fraternity; yet it's because of him that an e-mail was circulated to all clubs regarding a trend that has crept into the game. Unlike an escalation in unsporting behaviour and ill discipline towards umpires, John's crime, if it can be called that, was to wear a head camera to film last year's Ken Morris final (which was actually played this year). No-one batted an eyelid during the game, some of the opposition even asked for footage of them batting but after spending six hours editing his film to produce just a two minute clip, he was asked to take it down for safeguarding issues. Heartbreaking for his efforts, annoying for the batsmen wanting to see themselves on film and baffling for many social media viewers who are used to seeing cricket on Facebook, Twitter and You

May is still not over yet the Harrison-Allen quarter finals have already been decided. Reg Owen There're been no real shocks although some might argue that Neyland's loss to Haverfordwest could be classed as one meaning the teams that have progressed were expected to do so. Of all the teams in the quarters Herbrandston are the lowest ranked team in terms of the division they play in. Cresselly, Carew, Lawrenny, Narberth, Haverfordwest, Whitland, Herbie and Saundersfoot are the remaining eight teams; six of which play in the first division, with Narberth a rung below and Herbie flying the flag for division three teams. Whoever Herbie face, they'll have to produce a shock to move on to the semis but they won't be fazed by anyone, not if history is anything to go by. A big crowd descended on Herbie that night to witness a near full strength Haverfordwest pay a visit. Most had probably come to see Henderson Springer, the charismatic and hard hitting Barbad

Aficionados of the story of Wyatt Earp will know about Doc Holliday. He was a skilled gunslinger and gambler and best friend of the famous lawman in Tombstone, an unforgiving place that was home to many a cowboy, saloon, gambling joint and lady of the night. It was not a place for the weak-willed. Holliday was a dentist, a skilled one at that although he was drawn more to the green baize of the gambling tables where he used his intelligence to outwit opponents to supplement his earnings from treating people's teeth. By all accounts he was a decent man, a loyal man, especially to Earp. His loyalty in gun battles all the more remarkable given he was dying from Tuberculosis; or Consumption as it was then known. He contracted it from looking after his mother who died of the disease when he was just 15-years-old. Pembrokeshire cricketers will be more familiar with a different Doc' Holliday (this one is a child psychiatrist, his first name is Simon) and he t